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Daily Ohio State journal (Columbus, Ohio : 1848), 1863-12-14

Daily Ohio State journal (Columbus, Ohio : 1848), 1863-12-14 page 1

MILITARY. m wkw-wnst rrvM CKrtxmiiauiD abb acthobijib to J. . Coaaaaar oCOAVAMX M WMIW T7ar Department, Tal. 1.. will to MlM. Marmot eat I la tk mn iMHfi eat wiU iiwln tho aaea. ay, atvaaM toasty aad araalaa. aa la lao Bafalar tayteirv of an. van In ma la la. ark alaa oelk, at tHr. eaa keaonkly 4laro. To nek lb fnalu, I If aat aaVaae. par vUl aaeael W 402 Dollars. ttiotefr KM nlltrt4 om MMhf ear te U-tw m, Mk4 to iwltUttam. bouty w4 prwoiaa. 302 Dollars -s- If la (lulls bbsas shall ant raealro llaea woo p. far aha tall carlo ef thro, yaera, aa thmj .h.U bo I hoaorealv t of i ua I aalta, aaoa Mag auunl oat, la w aajoaatof haaatv i.ejalataf aapaM, too mom m if toe nil nMbManO. Taleslkrraoteatieltte. who u 1 la ewvtoa, akall bo oatitlod to neolr a who, boaatr raawialug mapald at tat tuna af ta.oliar-. alia. f aiali nof jottlag Ibli araaeh of Ik. oar- to at aoply taim.tl.nlr, a hal a abort tun k ailOWOO aOBDMKO WU W1U1UUM. Apvljto OBABOK BKLLi, Ceptal. or, J. W. ABhMTBOBO, Ltealoaaet, OaV ta Bat u rt" BoUdlo-, Back Block. Opinio., laptamhar la, 1W. ..pit DOOK8 & STATIONERY i - Ararican Flags, krada flap. Burnt!; riua, II Ik Flaam. Bd-at aw I aa4 Soal.IT Flat oa baa and aaata to or Am, of la Saavt aolori amd bait mako. PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS. TJofckat, liaal eat ausaat Moat la Ik alt, , irt:.ir.aaaA. ilIvWUlri U"tk ri5E 8TC1 PICTURES!. I ( BaBtrSkM, ABIOM'B. F. aWA kow lot of Banrmk BOOKS, eokeevl o aay aaata of trainaruali, aat of too la BkaMra., ' ; ' ' iGOV.JOHNBBOUOH. txt2 at skit Hittattilikai aua oal rrloailJU. Boat Oar flcuro rl Ho, Alroaral tawoaat . Something New t HIilJ. oa Bound BUoki. Bautlfal Ookxo, o teeth Paper ill Vut about a loog any rug, If not ovpoo to rala. w. aixlji 7a. yor Am., aid I. 10 pot loo. BA3TDAIX 4c 4.8TOV8, wslO . . lt loutk Hlak It., OolDMkw, 0. BILLIARD TABLES. J. M. BRUNSWICK & BRO., Hillianl TUle MlUFACTTJREiiS, No. 8 West Sixth street, I Billiard Cloth, and Ball., fraru Chalk, C. Tip., On Oomont, riala aod Fancy Cool, and othor ilorll DuloDalrif to th. trade, Uat alw cod uatly on hand a auortm.nl of -Pigeon Oolo aod BoKat.ll Tablaa. oTTablao Mippllal with oar latatt atyl Pafcjut CuBilmnatloa OuhloB aud llarbl or Blot Brda t ohorl notloo. J.l a ' The Slantlanl Aiuerioan .BILLIARD TABLE APPRO VXD AtfD ADOPTED BY TBI BILLIARD OONORItW of 1M8. Th bart d onljr f-Mablt Bflltcrd Table utvoofkctiired. BJ!t, Qm, b4 rrj ftkr nlatloc to MUlatds, for tmi by PeiLAM COLLSMDEE, Oor of Omby ud Bpitof UmU, M Tork. runs i furs! LADIES' FURS, Mluet Fun, 1 Chldren's Fura, Gfints' Fur Gloves & Collara, L1DIES' FUR TRIMMED HOODS te., An Unafraally Large Stock of tbe Choicest Goods REASONABLE FRIGES. la quality and extant our etoek le twauiraeed In the ltj. RUDISELL'S HAT, CAP & FUR STORE, 79 men m.f . . COLUMBUS, O. MMIf ATTENTION! FellO'wOltlBsezxai H. H. CHARITON RMPBOTTCtLLT CALLS ON TOT? TO DROP la mhI tuualD. bla ilook aa4 prloe of Frfth .rocerle 6c Provlslona, Jtwt rclTl from N Tork. whlek 1 wUI Mil u low m om kt pmrtibAMd im dt Uoqm 1b ik it j VII at ' TXTo-140, N. E. eorntr Town ind Fourth U., COLUMBUS, OHIO, . a-All food. AaJtrmd It of chajf. , DC. H. CHARITOX. BOOK AGENTS WANTED Itri WAHT TO KlfQAOC TH1 BKBTICES OF V T lay a uabar af lndaatrioutt loetk, f bndow tMt. to aaaTMt br ou publtoaliODS. Liberal in- tbjMMtfl tw UbnA, mUw mi Mlry m per. eeptaft. Tbe MteaUorl of aio)varf4 otdJera U prttoaar iv vreMM w ua aonce. OILUOBI A BRV8H. rttbhaherm, lur Tmiimt, Utliuabu, X CONSIGNMENT. On Ponsignment. MO tea. OhoknaH Fmraao. a. B. fomdrj, tit Iro - MUU, , FITCH A MB, ff Watt arU4-Arf Bonthaut eor. Third Walnut Bta. CUfCUraATI, OHIO, Ttoaktotud Boat fkaroafk OoawaraW laakV taawa ia a, naaa. B kt. BianiTT, - 1. M. W.Tnas, PrnMnt. Frtaorpal, f DAllL Y OHIO STATE VOLUME XXVII. DAILY OHO STATE JOURNAL MfKTT, AIXBBT ok tian ! MONDAT MOKNISO, DECEMBEB 14, . . r,rnirTi'iTfn V But uudr Admiral Vkfclgres NAVY DEPAETl01NTvi wind in.id. th. bar, and w. h.r. Jr I had poawuion of Morrii UUnd, tit com- KEFOBT OF eKCBETABT WCIXKS. Nitt DllAkT)tT. See. 7, 186S. ilk: Th akTkl oparatiun of th jnr it ban Ttxiod tnd man kraaoua, a. well h fr ioaxteiiT, tnn txrore usdar to Qornmnt A blockad eom-maoing kt Aloxandrik, in Virginia, And larminatin at th Rio Orksd. ha bU f- fwtiT.ly ataintoiawt Th kxteat of thi tiliyikado anoordin to AS AOOUrkta tW of meJurmnl oartfuUr prepar.d t th Coaal Sarr.T office. eoTen a ai.ianc or Ihraa Iknnund fiv hundred And fOTtT. Hint itAtat mil, with on husdrod nd ilhty-niae harbor or rirer opoing. or isdeautlou, And muoh of tho eoeet pr.MnU A double ehor to b guarded. In addition U the out blockade, a bataI force of mora, then on hundred Teasel he been emnloTad in nktrollinc the riTen, cutting oS rerfel iuppliee, And eMperAtiJg with th armies tn tne uupreteiou 01 tu j-oouiua. Th diatauc thru traTeretd and pAtrolled by the gunboktl on th Mlesleeippi And it tnbuuriet, 11 ,oto muo, biTsu. rinre And inloli of tbe Stntee upon th Atlkniio And the Gulf, eonring An ax- tent of About 2,000 mile, Ht auo neen puetTAted and watched with unoektisg TigiUnoe. Th blookkd it bwomintt nor effectire and ooaipl.te. Progrees bo been ukde ia repelling the rebelt from the ooaet, and oir-eiuneoribing their limit. The IdUeieeippi and it tributArice kire. AfUr A protracted. pereieMnt, And nrert itruggle, in which the whol energie and effort, of th iu.ur-genu war engaged to obetrnct And prevent our luooe, bean rwpenea to nerigeuo and commerce. Aa th rebel hkre nr poeaetied an open port for either belligerent operation! or commercial purpo, nor a nTl or coonwroikl marine, their mari-tlme trad and vroeeedinn hT been chiefly derived from foreign adventnren and foreign eapiuL If, in th aarly pe riod or th war, tne unearnpuiou ana nn-DrineiDled trader who, in Tiolation of law and public morality, embarked in iUiolt tcheuei to Tiolat th blocked, and (urn-iih th rebela with euppliei, were uoee-ful, Uie general remit of the year, now near it oiobo, dt oeeu to mom uroai uio- ettroue. Th vigilance of our naval foroai and the atringenoy of th blocked have operated with great eeverity on thoee who hare risen in arms against their country, and have earned heavy loasos to those who bar abetted, or have been in sympathy with th rebellion. I do not propose in this rsDort to enter ution th details of our nival operations sine my last annual ommuni-eation, but shall append the omcial reports of the officers theniselTes which best nar rate their reapeotlTe labors and achieve ments, ha nobler encomium can be awarded them than th plain etat.ment of their deeds, and no eummary oan do justice to their unassuming communications. The oruislng grounds of the sereral blockading sijuudrous remain unchanged sine my last report. BoaTH ATLAXIIC StiCADBOK. AotinK Rear-Admiral La contlna.s in command of the Korth Atlantio Bfuadron, faithfully and ably discharging his duties in a position of great responsibility, and, in some respects, of great embarrassment. Seconded and sustained as he has been by ofhoers of seal and efiioiuncy, the rivers of Virginia and the sounds of North Carolina have been penetrated, watched and guarded, as wall as the entire coast, so that all intercourse wun the rebels has bean cut off, with th single eioeption of the port of Wilmington, to close which has been diffi cult from its two inlets, thirty miles apart, flanked by extensiT batteries. Boms ot lb fastest steamer from th Clyde and other quarters, of light draught, have, under oover of darknees, sucoeeded in eluding capture, but most of even that description of Teesels bar fallen into our hands or been driTen on shore. With thee exceptional oases, all foreign aud coastwise com merce with th rebels has oensed In that quarter. At Washington, Newborn, and els.whe.e on th inner waters of North Carolina, and also on the Nansemond. York. and other river -ot Virginia, our naval officers hav been sleepless sentinels, and they bat exhibited examples of heroio braverT and daring In repelling the rebels. and protecting and suocorlug the army when in difficulty, which refleot honor on themselves and the ssrric. S0CTI1 AILUttIO kiuabbos. Th South Atlantic Squadron has contin ued to nforc tb blockade with. Tigilano and an'ML It is not known that any Teasels now elude th Tigilano of the fleet or effeot communication witn the rebels on that ooast. 6o long aa th blockading force remained off Charleston, instead of getting within the bar, the illicit trade at that point was proseouted with some suooeas, and no Tigilano or aotivity could wholly prerenl it. With a view of interdicting all traffic, and, if possible, of capturing Charleston itself, the original seatof insurrection and of disunion, preparations wer made by this Department, commencing more than a year ago, for the occupation of the harbor and the reduction of th dofenseff The completion of th Iron-clad Teasels was urged forward with all the energy the Department oould infuse into th oontraotors, and auon ounr oiueiou. voonoia a couio DC mad ATAilabl wer ordered to th squadron to Add to It power and erhoienoy. Delay and diffioultias intervened, and it was not until the "th of April that a demonstration was made. On th afternoon of that day Rear-Adiuiral Dupont, in the AVie Iron-tida, aocompanied by seven turrated ves-sell of th Monitor class and the gunboat Ktolntk, proceeded up the harbor, and made a vigorous assault npon Fort Sumter. From som difficulty or defect, th Admiral's ship waa unable to got into action, but the others proceeded onward to th attack, and suatained A terriflo concentrated fire from numerous batteries. Owing: to th submerged obstructions, the character of nhioh waa not understood, it waa not deemed advisable to attempt a pas- eage up to the city, and after a contest of less tnan two noun, uie aiguat waa given U) withdraw the fleet Hut comparatively slight iniunr was sustained by the turreted ves sels, and only on life was lost in this re- , . . . v. : v - maraaoie eouieau w auips v,er uoiura sustained such a eonoentratd Are, and the enduring qualities of thi class of Teesels wer fully proved. It was intended to have renewed the attack on th following day, but this intention was subsequently abandoned, and th Teesele weie withdrawn from th harbor, under aa apprehension that thsy could not withstand tie storms of ths season and the flr of the rebel batteries. But Important considerations rendered it nroner that the force should remain inside ths bar, and orders were sent toRear-Ad-miral Dupont to that eifeot. Th report or tn superintending engineer as Is th injuries which th turreted vessels had sustained waa satisfactory, and eonflrmed the Government in it determina tion to olos effectually and completely the sort. o as to prevent ths ingress or egress of a single vessel, And Aiso to promote ope rations Against tne aercneos in .ne naroor Kear-Admirat iropont naTlng expreeaed A willingnee to relinquish th position which he had ooennied for eighteen months. Bear-Admiral Andrew H. Foote waa detailed te relieT him. That brav and distinguished offioer prepared with great alao-rity and promptitude for the duty, but, when on his way to his command, waa seised with fatal illness and died in New York. His assoctats and seoond in command, Rear-Admiral John A. D&hlgren, proceeded immediately to Port Royal, and, on the 6th day of July, assumed command of th squadron. A oonibiued operation of naTl and army forces, the latter under General Gil-more, wa instituted for th occupation and poeeeaion of Morris Island, on thouthid of the entrance to Charleston Harbor. After A long And sever struggl, th army operating npon land with th effioient cooperation of th monitors and th rawioVs, atorria Island, with all its baturl, waa aptured. Bumter was soon mad a pile of ruins by th flero artillery of our forces, although th rebels contrive to continue a small out powerless fore there under th protoetioB of th surrounding batteries. In the slow operations of this protracted siege of evr St months, a well aa in the dem-oasiratiosi f the 7 th of April, both th resisting and attacking powor of ths monitors Las bean illustrated and proven. m.rc of Charleston baa eeaed. Not a single blockade-tuner has succeeded reaohing the city for months, and liis traf fic wnico had been to sou. extant, and wun larg profit, previously carried on, is ox-liuituiahad. As a commercial mart Charles. ton has no existence; her wealth with her trad ha departed. In a military or stra logic Tiew the place ie of tittle consequenoe; and whether the rebels are able by great sacrine and xhaustlon to hold out a lew week mora or lee is of no importance. Jn moat marked and extraordinary con flict within the limits of this squadron, or, indeed, In the service during th year, and in som respeot on of th most sicnlficant ana Instructive naval battles or the war, took place on the 17th of June, in Warsaw Sound, between th Wukawkm, a Teasel of lb monitor class, and ths formidable arm ored sMsmir AtUutta. Lik th contest in Hampton Roads, in March. 1662, when the Honour land the Htmmat wcro engaged, this battle waa between armored vessels of great disparity in site, but Die result was! vaauy more speeuy and ueoisiv. ins 41-fui( wa A powerful tetuwr, had been iron-plated by the rob!, and prepared for war purposes at immense exnense. In tne confidence of certain victory over hr comparatiTOly diminutive antagonists, tn Huhauktn and - th - ahmt. she was aocompanied . by boats loaded with gay parties to witness her triumph, but tne orav omcsrs and men or our turreted Teesels kaw their power and sought the eneounter. This battla was to test not only the Teesels but the new 16-lnch ordnance, then for the first time brought Into naval warfare, and concernini which there had been, as well as with respaot to th vessel. IhemselTos, some variety of opinion. The conflict wa ,0 brief and decisive that only one of iSj fwo monitor vestels, though no, widely separated and each eager for the fight, waa able to participate in the engagement, Th Aahant, having no pilot, followed in th wake of the Wiehawhr., but before she could get into sction the turnout was orer. Buch was th breTily of the fight that the Wakauken, in about lifteon minutes, and with only five shots from her heavy guns, overpowered end captured her formidable antagoniet before the Jfiihant, which was hastening to the work, oould discharge A single shot At the Atlanta. This remarkable result was au additional testimony in favor of th Monitor class of Teasels for harbor defense and coast sorvioe sgainst any naval vessels that have been or are likly to be constructed to visit our shores. It appears also to have extinguished whatever lingering hopes the rebels may have had of withstanding our naval power by naval maus iiSTint qclv sqrADaox. Acting Rear-Admiral Bsiley has contin ued in command of the Eastern Gulf Squadron, olosely blockading tbe Florida Peninsula, from Cape Canaveral, on too eait, to Pensaoola, on the west. There having been no important military iiioremenis within these limits, a close watch of th ooast aud th adjacent waters has been maintained by the navy, resultiug in the capture of many prizes, aud the almost entire annihilation of all illicit trallio. Some important boat expeditioue for cutting out Teasels and de-stroyng rebel salt-works, hare been projected aud executed with success. Lying edja-oent to Cuba, and not far distant from Nassau, the ooaat of Florida presented many arailable points for eluding the blockado, chiefly by email Tessels, which were capable of penetrating the Bhallow harbors aod in- eta wntcn maeut it snores. Uttt tne trade has not bsen carried on with impunity more than one hundred oraft of Tarioua de scriptions have been captured or destroyed by tins squadron during tne ourreut year. waaiitu orjLt sqcasbo.t. Ths duties of the Western Gulf Squadron Uavo beta diversified and exacting. For a considerable part of the year Uear-Admirol sarragut felt hunseli compelled to employ many of his most sflioiont vessels in active river service, co-operating with the army, with a Tiew to reopening the navigation of the Mississippi, and expelling hostile forces from ita banks. Impressed with the great imnortanoe of this work, and aware as the determination of th Government to promptly and firmly re-establish the national authority in that quarter, so that the ocean outlet of the great oontral valluy of the union eoouid oe unrestricted and seoure, Rear-Admiral Farrairut committed the sub ject of the ooast blockade to others of his oommand, and doroted nis unremitting personal attention to th energetic and vigorous prosecution of the sonqueet of the rebels, to overcoming and reducing their batteries, and to removing every obstacle with which they Bought to oppose the navigation of the river, or to resist the authorities of the Union. Boon a tier tne capture or -wui leans in th Bpriug of 1B32, and as th natural result of that event, the naval forces formed a junction! and could the army at that time have iurniened au auequatu co-operating land force, the reduction of Vicksburg might hav been accomplished, and the occupation and laTigation of the river easily secured. But the omission to do this gave the rebels opportunity to Immensely strengthen Vicksburg, and also to fortify Port Hudson and Grand Gulf in addition. What, therefore, might hare been aoootnplished with com-paratively little effort in the summer of 1862, waa a work of immense and almost inoredi-ble labor and difficulty in 1863. It was indispensable that communication should be opened with Rear-Admiral Porter, of the .Mississippi Squadron, and Geu. Grant, both of whom were operating agaiuat Vicksburg. Rear-Admiral Farragul, therefore, moved up In strong Tores irom uaion nougo in March, intending to pass the batteries at Port Hud son, but only his own flagship, the ITartJori, and tn ,4 foafrai,wre success! ui. n iui tnese he succeeded in approaching Vicksburg, aud in communicating with Itoar-AdiuiraT Porter across the peuineula. This gallant act of Rear-Admiral Farrngut being cllocled, the navy had command of the river between Vicksburg and Port Hudson, aud was tn.-bled to establish a blockade of Red R.ver and thus Intercept the supplies from Texas destined for the rebel armies. Tho iusurgeuts felt thi to be on of the roost, serious and fatal blows inflicted on theoi during the year, and from the effects of il they have ' ' I Ti.:- i . l . UBTBr recuvercu. luis aucuuimtaueu, me Admiral left his flag-ship, the liarifori, and returning below by way of Atchaljlaya, he resumed operations for a final assault on Port Hudson. To meet the requirements of th occasion a fore was kept always ready to co-operate with the army in its movements; and on tho part of the navy a con tinuous shelling ot tins place irom nioiur boat, and Tease!, and A naval battery on shore, manned by seamen, was maintained,. seconding the army, nearly ii,uw lo-1'ieh shell wer thrown luto tne works by the mortar Teesels, and the naral battery ol four 0-iuch guns, used aa a breaching bat. terv. performed good serTico. In conse quence of the oaptur of Vicksburg, on the 4tn or July, tn reduction or i-ort Hudson became inevitable, and the garrison finally surrendered, on th 9th of July, to General Banks, who, for some weeks, had besieged the place. Thla waa th last stronghold of resistance to the national Authority on the banks of the Mississippi. The riTer beine now ooened to neao.ful commercial pursnita,Rear-Adrairal F arragut turned, over to itear-Adintral forter the en tire oontrol of the western waters abovs New Orleans, and departed himself for that city. Deeming that his long service and useful labor of eighteen months entitled this gallant officer to special consideration, the department tendered him a respite, which he nieepted, And commodore il. H. Bell, th next offioer in rank, wa appointed to command the squadron in his absence. , . The blockade of the Gulf has been, In the main, effioient and suoocasful, although reverses t Galveston and Sabine Paaa occurred, and, for a time, reckless adventurer and foreign capitalists To some extent succeeded, by perrerting neutral priTiligee and fraudulently abasing neutral rights on the Rio Grande, in oarrylngon illicit trade with rebels through Matador. The Rio Grand COLUMBUS. OHIO; MONDAY beine tb boundary between Mexico and th United Slates, ia open to th navigation of both countries, and could not, tntrerora, D blockaded. W ith a knowledge of this fact multituda of schemes wer projected, and under the diaauis of neutral trade, hi alamo. ras suddenly bomeagreatooiumerclal man for tbe rebels and their friends, uut ui shrewdly devised schemes war soon interrupted with disastrous onquence to moat of those who participated in tnem, ana in occupation of th Rio Grcud and Brown-Till has put a flual termination to th late ly extensiT commerce or AiatAmores, wnicn is becoming aa insignificant aa it was before tne rebellion. wtssiasirri tqcibaoa. Tb Mississippi Squadron has been ac tively engaged m auccessful snort to 0Tr com th rebels and restore the national as cendency in tb great central vall.y of the Dnion. - Rear-Adciiral Porter, who aetiTity, energy, ad roadinee of reeouroe, eminently fitted him for that command, naa xni bitod extraordinary Tigor in Tarioua naval xp ditionson tb Mississippi and its tribntA- ries, sad in sealous co-cperatlou wnn tb amir m most of its important operations. The capture of Arkansas rost, on tn White River, in January, th destruction of the batteries at Grand Gulf In May, and In co-operation with ths army th reduction of Vicksb'irg, which finally surrendered en tne 1th of July, are ths most prominent of th remarkable achievements or Uiis squadron, som of which are marked by incident of singular and romantio daring. In th Ap pendix to this report will be found eorreot reoords or the extraordinary adventure attending the effort to get control of th Ta-too by aweeping from it channel the net work 01 torpedoes, explosive macninea, and oontriTances for submarine warfare, near its confluence with the Mississippi. These f- loi is were followed 'by th novel and sin. gular "Yaioo Pass Expedition," And th ex pedition of "Stool s Bayou ana veer Creek." un tne rignt bans, ot tn Mississippi aceues of interest were also enacted by the hardy sailors and boatmen on th rWere of Arkensas and Aorthern Louisiana, ins Cumberland and the Tennessee hav been actively patrolled by oar vigilant and skill nil naval omcers, and in axoiting chase or Morgan by our steamers on tb Ohio, over distance of fine hundred miles, intercepting him and hit hand when attempting to es- pe, naturally attracted tb alteutlon of the couutry. Btit the great aud important exploits or tots squadron wer la In Tioin- ity or loktourg, where the main ttrengtn of th naval as well as of the military forces were centered, inc maguitude ol the defences or tnis pitue, wnioti ware Intended to ropulse any force,' naral or military, or both combined, which could be brought against them, made the siege for midable, and seemed for a time to defy all attempts at their reduction. In overcoming them, the navy necessarily formed a oon- tmouoiiB aud essential part, tor forty-two days, without intermission, the mortar-boats were throwing shells luto all parts of tbe oitv, and even into the Works beyond it. Heavy guns, mounted on scows, commanded the important water batteries, and for fourteen days maintained an inoosssnt fire upon them. Thirteen heavy guns wer landed from tho Teasels, and officers and men (where they could be spared) were sent to uiau tliem. Tne gunboats below th city, in co-operation with the army, were contiuual- engtiged :n shelling the plaoo. During ho sieue sixteu thousand sliullB were thrown from th mortars, gunboats aud na val naileries upon ui city aud it dtfenett before they capitulated. Ibe oreation mid organization of this large squadrou, which has done suob ef- fectiTB sarvice ou the tipper Jlississipi and its tributaries, extending over a distanoe 1 more than three thousand miles, may bt justly considered among the most wouder- lul events or the times. It is but little over two years since we had not A n&Tul Tessel ou all those waters, where we now have a iquadoon of oue hundred Teasels, oarrylng 102 guus, with crews amounting in tbe aggregate to 6,600 men. Keutucky, Tennessee and Arkansas, the upper portions of Mississippi and Louisiana, and tbe south ern portions of those Stales which border on the Ohio River on the north, hare been relieved and liberated through the instru mentality or the gunboats acting bythein- stives, or in earnest aud oordlaloo-opera-tion with the armies. Rear-Admiral Porter has wall sustained the renown which the tallaut end lamented Focus so nobly sarn- ed, and has carried forward to successful results a larger and mora powerful force than was ever at the disposal of that heroic officer. In creating and organising this squadron, and arming and manning the vessels, it must not bs forgotten that the service labored under many and great disadvantages, for the Government had no Xavy.yard or osttibllehment of it own on which th Departmant could depend. In the absence of anyJGovernmontAl yards, sbops, storehouses, and other neoessary facilities and aids for a naval establishment, luial.o tor mechanics and workmen, it became neoessary to collect and band out and receive supplies from eomeeenlral and secure position. This work lias boeu per formed ohieuy at lairo, under the superintendence and management of officers who have doTotod themselves to their less con spicuous but not less indispensable work with an assiduity aud labor not surpassed even by their more active associates who ware facing the enemy. roTOKac rr,otiiJ.A. Allured by high prices and the prospect of gain, meroonary adventurers, a well as rebels and rebel sympathisers, bst continued to carry on to some extent .illicit And eontrabaud traffic between Maryland and Virginia, rendering it necessary to main tain a considerable torce on tn rotomso. Cho flotilla, under command of Commodore liarwood, has kept a close watch and guard to intercept aud prevent, as far as possibl, communication with th rebels, and many oapturcs haTO been made; but the punish ment lnuiotcd on those who attempt to deal with traitors and furnish them supplies baa been so light, mat these petty contrabandists, as well aa the mora open blookad-run- nert, have carried on their employment with some degree of impunity. In one or two instances, armed bodies of men have appeared ou the Virginia shore, as if with the inteution of molesting navigation, but they have abruptly Hod on the approach of a gunboat. To guard against possibl eon-tiugenoics at tho time of the invasion of Maryland aud Penusylvaula, which terminated lu tho battle of ttysburg, vessels were stationed at what were deemed available points along the upper waters of the Uhesakcake to co-operate witn tne military authorities. A gunboat was sent up th Susquehanna to Havre -de-Grace, another up the Gunpowder, a third up tho Black-water, while one was also posted at Annapolis, tnd another at Wilmington. PACIFIC SQUADROU. Tho force in the Paoitto remains the sam adJOHUhe date of my last annual report, with Sy addition of the Saginaw and th FaraUilp, slors6bip at Aoapulco. CiUtHig Rear-Admiral Charles H. Boll continues In oommand of the squadron, and has attended to our interests in that quar ter. The vigilance of this officer and of Cnpt. Thomae 0. Selfridg. Commandant of the rtavy-yara ai .uare laianu, wun tne active oo-operation of the ouetom-house and revenue authorities on our western ooaat. K. iniei sooted aud tusnressed all atlemnts to fit r, it rebel piratical cruiser on ths Pa- eific. The schooner C. Chapman was dtteoted in the harbor of San Francisco in the month of May last, and eeited by th eloop-of-war Cutmi. with men, armament and military supplies on board, evidently intended to prey upon our commerce. Some indtoatlona of a scheme to fit out a rebel cruiser having been communicated by our Consul at Victo ria, Admiral Bell dispatched the Saginaw to Washington Territory to ascertain the faota, tnd, if necessary, to take prompt measures in regard to them. Although it was ascertained mat som proceedings had taken place sufficient to give rise to reports ol a uesign 10 ni out a piratical craft under the rebel flag front British waters, there wer no subtaan- tial grounds lo apprehend that such scheme oould b carried into tfeot, specially in view of th friendly disposition and earnest resolve of Colonial authorities to discountenance and prevent suoh illegal proceedings. The Sagamav, therefor r turned to San Franoisoo from a satisfactory MORNING. DECEMBER 14. 1SG3. saisaion to th north-wt ooaat. Th sea cli of this squadron bat daring th year Tisited the principal port on th Paoino eoaat, aofl by their protenct trAgthnd our diplomatic And ona Hilar representa tive, Ana UnaartM a reeling or Motility io Aeurioan cititea and America Internet aherever they kav appeared, , Tsaskx l. ihb a atT UDtia. In th at India and China Baa tb JamMm and th Wyoming bat guarded American Interests during th patyar, and with the exception of A disturbance which it i to be regretted occurred at Ja pan, all ha remained quiet in that region. Ia the month of July, while the Wyoming was at Yokohama, Information wa received that the American steamer ratetoAo had been fired npon by Japan veatola. Commander McDongal immediately proceeded to the locality of tbe outrage, whore he was fired upon from six land batwriee. And a naval fore oonsieting of A steamer, a bark And A brig. An action of oa hour followed, in which it I staved that th teaar of the enemy wa blown up, th bark aunk, and th brig mad a complete wrack in her caper work, while eoaslderthl damage wa don lo th land battarie. Th Bmray withdraw after thus vindicating th honor of th Aaaerioaa flag, naTlng austained A lost of tltven killed and wounded. TO BATAX, loaci. I bar mentioned In former reports that the naral foro At th commencement or thu Administration consisted of 76 Teasels, aad of these only 42 war in commission. Th additions which bar sine beta mad oat derated the country into a A rot-class naval power, in tb following utile an axninii Is presented of th actual number aad do se riptioa of our naral Teasels At tb data cf my last report and at the present tlm. UnaoaTanv JStluM of tat ARy,iMetmMr, . 1862 and 1863. IvoVI fruB 'Tea1. Kavy at th. dat. of ptoMBl ro ! J port m ; 4,H 7,tT Vavy at the data of last report ur l.MSatO.OM lafH, Inclnslvt of thoe. j lwt J 11 I 1.1THT,S1 TsmcU of the Wavy Latt una Ptemitr, 1662. ,'No. orNo.of lo wh.t BBnn.r lo.l. j vm'1. geu. . Toa'fc Ooptoiad IS i , 0,9.7 IMtrovadtoprevantfalllnMluto; , t hoods of l.b.1. SB ' I BRJ think I. Utile or by t,rpodeeel t ' f ! .m thipwnok, An aadooUlaloa....; 1J i tl t,SM Tot.l .-a! M i ll ; 1,BM Yttrlt glased under torutntction tmtt Dttonu btr, 1863. ;Jo. ofSo.efj DoMrtptloa. Ivoo'l. sua., Tea's Doubl. nd Iron itoamors 1,030: too. each m. 9tol.turrtlroB-clda, Sletona: each i Seubla lurrat .ad Ireo-olad. 3,130 ton. Mdi.. I Clipper Hnw .loops, 1,200 ton. Mb Sanw-atoop., spar-deck, 1,100 tool each J aoraw-loopa of groat .pood, J,.! 2ootou. each Seriw-iioop. or grMt apood, s,.i T,U0 ll.reo W.oM ta,0O XT.eX le.ooo t.ooo to , ! ISO I to It I wv iuu. auu ' Totol.'. ' Ovural Exhibit of th Aory warn A Vunli under Gmttruetion are tomphttd. iKo. of Xo. of j'vos'bl guD. Tod's Iroa-oladatoam.r.. ooaat oorvlvo; St iroD-cIsd itMmara, Inland oar- iMca-woeo! eamr. ' ft. ooraw alaamani... ....! lot VIC. ' te i 1,6 1,31.1 alUns vwsals lu 70,230 TMll . There have been added to tSb nary dur ing the past year, by purchase, some thirty tug, ovar fifty steamer for blockading and upply purposes, and over twonty other vessels for tenders and store-ships. At least twenty of th steamers wer captured In endeavoring to violate th blocked. nrHOVEaJUtrt Iff KataI vassal. Coon the assumption that the United States are to otoupy a leading position amonir marituno nations, A primary object with th Government must be the mainten ance of a naval force, adequate lor defenoe .gainst all foreign aggression. The thor ough transformation whioh has taken place n th character of naval warfare la tho re sult of a change not leu oomplet in tb character and construction of naral vessels. The sailing shlus-of-war, whose construction had been brought almost to perfection, wore superseded first by paddle-wheel steamers, and they in turn hav. given place to Teasels propelled by tub-mergtd sorews. Steamers, howeTer, are Habit to disasters In battle, from which sailing Tcsssl ar exempt, A single chance shot may disable tb most powenul steam- aud this exposure, rendering Tea sels of this claa unsafs and dangerous, has led to precautions and safeguards for their protection, in th form of iron armature, by which a flrst-olass man-of-war ia made luTulnerabl to the ordnauce formerly used in naval warfare. But this new form cf defonec haa developed with it corresponding Improvement in the form and foro of attack; and thus the proper naval armament of th present day, con-silting of a calibre, reach and power heretofore regarded aa impoaaiblo, haa become as novsl end experimental as ths new naval structures and defenses whioh it Is intended to assail. These successive changes, introducing into naval war-vtsaels powerful machinery to insure speed, armature for it protection, and heavy ordnanoe for assiult, nave led to a necessary constant increase In the aiie of ships, until the attainment of sufficient dimsusions for a first-rate man-of-war steamer, properly armored and with suitablo armament and room for supplies, requires proportions which at first view seem enormous. Yet without such greatly augmented slit, the essentials of invulnerability, speod, heavy armament, and space for the necessary supplies for the cruising. operations, cannot all be secured.In tbe responsible task of applying to naval vessels and navni Armament tne prlnoiplee which model u invention and improvement have developed, the department has been compelled to pursue a path hitherto, to a great extent, unexplored. The monitor class of armortd ehlpa, with revolving turrets snd few guus of heavy oalibro, has proved ttsslf to be well adapted lor naroor derense and coast aervlo, and In some emergencies these vessels, from their great powers of scdurance, hav shown themaelvea to be ef ficient and aervieable In offensive opera tions. This form and description of vessel. whioh originated in the inTentiTC genius of Capt, John ricBson,wui periorm not on y au that should be expected of them to make our harbors secure, but when of enlarged ca pacity, may supercede ship of higher pre tensions, to maintain our riguuui maritime position, and for predominance upon the ocean, Teesels of greater alia than any turreted Tessel yet completed may be essential. Not only must they carry gunt of a heavier calibre than hav heretofore been used at sea, but in order to make long criilsea, aud to cop successfully with any fore, thea vessels must have all possibl strength, endoranoe, and speed. Their structure must, therefore, afford space enough for full sailing power, and for th most powerful steam machinery, and the large supplies of fuel needful to keap il at work. Being, unuxe outer great maritime nations, without distant colonies, where coal depots oan b established on the shore of almost every act, we must oonform to the necessities of our condition, end build shins with capacity enough to take on board fual sufficient for a long cruise. The tpace for other supplies, for munitions of war, and for the accommodation of offioer and crews, should also be ample, and, in Add! lion to this, each of thee vessel must, in order to accomplish it work, present In it oonstruction. Armor, Armament and propul sion, all the power that th resources of modern invention and meohAnlcal ecienca and art oan furnish for attack, resistance and pursuit. A vessel of thi description must, of course, cost A urge price. But than a wis altemnthip will not fall to perceiv that th possession of even a very few such unconquerable ships must, while Tastly augmenting the foro and renown of our navy, snord ne. si tne tarn urn, tn in JOURNAL. stimabl gua rants of poao with foreign nations; nor, in counting th cost of such floating structure, can w forget that, larg s that ooet may b, u yt .inks into insignificance in contrast with th expenditure, and aaarific of a (iagl year, or van a auonth. of foreign war. la order that w Buy have At aoi om- maod a navy which shall fulfill the unexampled and exacting conditions of efficiency, a commensurate public eetabliaameht for it construction and preparation u icdis-penaubi. A navy-yard on a larg aoale, aad in many respects, of a new plan, amply furnished with all the proper facilities ani aid for it operations, whera machinery for teaman oan b manufactured, iron vessels construotad. iron armature made and lasted, snd repair of very deeeriptioa executed, it aa abewluta nec.ea.lty. In view of these Ueta. I had the honor, oa tucceeeiv occa sion, to or ire this matter upon the attention of tb last Congress, and th omission of that body to Uk even tne preliminary measures toward th procurement aad formation of such an establishment is a misfor tune which th country ie now mad to feel The nature of th sorrio to which oar naval vessels hav been subjected by long Ahdconlinuous blockade, their exposure dur ing all weather snd seasons, the aeeeaeity of keeping them under constant a learn or their fire banked teady for any emergoney, hare put them to seTer tests. Of bourse all Teasels must at times be withdrawn for ro- pair and refitment, and steamers subjsct to auoh hard usag muat otten b seriously damaged. Weeks, and tome timet months, bat been required for the renovation or re storation of thotr engines ana machinery. Such delay ha been cull further protracted by th Inability of our public yardt and ahopa to axeeut th work, nd the Department depending in a great degree on private iuduatry, haa been in a constant struggle to dispatacb th steamers sent lor repairs. The limited facilities for manufacturing and repairing steam machinery at the public Kavy.yards render them totally inadequate lo meet a moiety of the demands mads upon them. Eveq with tbe aid of private establishment, no inconsiderable portion of our naval foro U waiting, unemployed, and detained fiom actlv service to th injury of the country. As an Inslauc or tb delay at-louding the repair of our ships ami the insufficiency of our public works to meet our wants, It may be mentioned lhal the tteam-frigat Xugara, ordered to Boston for re pairs and refitment, was detained louneen months for its completion. I sgsiu, there for, moat aruestly Invoke the attention of longress to tne meanest uu luauopiuivus fact that our Government has made u sufficient provision in its publio sslablithments for Ihe existing requirements of naval war fare. So long as our thips-of-war wert lo bt built of wood and propelled by tails, our facilities for their construction wer ample and complete. At former periods the Uot-ernment, in Tiew of its then present end prospective wants for naval purpose, Incurred large expense in establishing dock-ysrds and otherwise providing for the service, but new deftneet end armament, vessels of Iron, new motiv power, and different material io their structure, require new dock-yards and workshops; ths Introduction of steam, the submerged propeller, the iron vessel, the armored ship, call for a different description of artisans, at well as different materials and workmanship. Our cruutry is better proparcd for this change than almost my other maritime nation, for we have but few sailing vessels of the large class, and these few to which steam cannot be applied maybe ussd to advantage for other than uirhtini? nurnoses: one of them, the Vtrmoni, has noun fitted aud used at a storeship, and the A'ne Hampthirt, formerly the Alabama, a shlp-of-the-liue, is being prepared for s similar purpose. They ate each available aud useful for this object, adapted to it In every respect, and can be mads oapahle of defenoe egiiost attack. But for cruis ing and the objects held In view in tneir coustruiioo, these magnificent speciciena of 'he old naral architecture and of the skill nf our mechanics, although, in their day they .derated the naval dignity and attested the power of the Republio, have now become comparatively useless. Th atrtnglh and durability of wooden vessels are In some respects inferior to those mad of Iron, and eor.iequently they are less capable of sustaining the heaviestai-aa-inent, and when they ar plated with iron the disparity 1 increased. Consequently large ships of war, by which maritime supremacy it to be eoliieved and maintained, will, in all probability, be ultimately con. itructtd chiefly of iron, ill ooniparativt advantages and disadvantages of iron and wood at the material to bt used in the construction of vessels are obvious and practical. Amonir the considerations in favor of iron-clad vessols with hulls of wood are th rapidity with whioh they oan b built, th abnndance of material on our whole ooast, and the facility with which workmen can be procured. Such vessels, moreover, can be coppered, ana uiereoy retain tneir speed for a longer period. They will be less Affected by A solid shot bslow th armature or plating, and th fracture made by h shot can b mora easily nitnueu. The disadvantage of wooden vessels are want of strength, as compered with thus of iron structure, and ths more rapid decay of the material, particularly when covered with iron plating; the action of th immersed Iron armor on th copper sheathing near it, causing tht oonner to bcom foul and tb immersed armor plate to weste; tbe difficulty of keep ing th vessels tight unuer tne armor piaies, and the orobablv greater damage to which thv are exposed from shells. On the other hand, th greater strength of iron permits the construction of ships of greater aiie and finer Hues; and having greater internal ca-nacltv. they oan be at any time inspected In all their parts, are Bale from fir, and are better protected from great leaks, as they oan have water-tight compartments; thalr repairs can generally be inoro easily made, and, from their great durability, 'ley are probably In th end not more costly. An iron vessel, moreover, oan he taken from the water and plaoed on land for pre servation, which cannot b don with wood en vessels. The disadvantages of iron vessels are th serioua local we.lt- nos of the thin plates oomposing the bot tom of an iron ship; ths danger that would result from gotling on rocks or submerged obstructions; their liability to rapidly become fonl in salt water, whereby their apoed bMonae greatly Impaired, thus requiriug to be frequently docked for cleauiug; the great danger from a shot striking below the armor plstingas they roll; the injury caused by the splinters ol iron when the plates sre broken or smasnea oy snot, ine corrosion inside from bilge water; the difficulty in eking temporary repairs of shot holes; snd limited number of artisans yet to be procured having skiUTu this description or emplovment. It should aleo be borne in mind that, while w have SBveral Navy-yards for building wooden vessels, the Government posseBKS not a single ysrd and es tablishment lor constructing tnose oi n-ou, or van. for making elates and shafting. While th principal attention of th de partment has, in tnis crisis Ol our auoua, been neeeessrily given to ure-ent and mora nnulnr necessities, it his, nevertheless, i,.nt in view the important end of e.tab- keot Jn view the important lishingour naral power on a permanent Oasis, rroposais wor m.ucu ,v. .v-l.,t .hln nf the lareest class, (under the authority contained in the appropriation bills.) but tne coil, aa anowu uy ui pru,-lions reocived for a ship of the neoessary m.n.imde. waa so ureal that it was deemed advisable to cuter no contract involving so large an expenditure, xopt by tb express sanction of Congress. In order, however, that justice uouid, in som degree, be done to the naval branch of the publio service, and that it might be able to sustain its rightful poeitiou upon ths ocean .t.- ., nf a fAraiffU war. lha cartiea eomcetinz for the large steamers were in- ..r.- t.-t. ..inn.l. for one of about ' half the nronoeed tonnage. One offer made ..a., ibi. Inviiation. at the moot reason able rate that could be obtained, nd which It wa deemed the interest of the Government not to exoed, was, with some modifi. oations, accepted. Ther ar uo parties in this country fttUy prepared to build Iron vessel of th mag. an,i rlMorintlon proposed, and the present high prices oT material and labor unaroidably enhance th cost Ths Got-iiwlf is unnre Dared to execuU any auch work, having no suitabl yard and ee- tabliahmoni. and is rooeequenuy waoiiy i NUMBER 142. . . - j , t ai i .1 P tai what they think proper, and prescribe their owa tar me. Oa former aud repeated occa sions, and elsewhere in this report, th De partment haa fully expressed it opinion of uiu poiioy ana tn necessity why theiipv-ei-nmeut ahould be prepared to build iron vrssels, and the neoessary raaohinery, of th largeat class. besides the turreted Teasels for coast defence and largearmored ships for naral conflict, wc need and should have steamers of high speed constructed of wool, with which to sweep the ocean, aud chase and bunt i down the vessels ot an enemy. Fortunate- lv, we are able to supply ourselves with ves- '"' t'lP"!'. "d competent ud healthful competition existt lor Ih.ir construction A l.rge portion of ti,t et tab- ..rum.i aii.piea io in. consrruc-i on T -. wj i place, as you may Uiiuk adviaauie. from derrtmentlnthe n.anufacturoofhtcanima.Ki, coliulu) TUUr-cour.e to the Cap. of chinery for vessels buildir, g at th. avy. , Good H ., yards and at private establishment. . lo degatioo of these special and ex-Th Secretary then proceeds to discuss, plicit edu, Acting P.ear-Adniiral Wilkes, t eonddorabl length, the Importance of es- a tailing in with the Vandtrbtlt, trans. tublishing a suitable XaTy-yjrd, workshops, f'T1 u' ? uUjU . , T .. ... , ; Ing her to hi j squadron, detained her in hi . dock, and meh in rr for tbe construction and repair of tn Iron-clad tar 5. to which the prt .et KaTT-yardj are nut ndupte J. He alto recommends est&bliauiiitf a oavitl depot, foundry, eu.t at tome suitable point on one of the riTere in the M!ibit3iipii Valley. He it.tei that on Ui MiasiislppI and ita tributaries tlicre are aw one hundred national reuels. On ti.il subject tho Sec ro ta 17 says : Steamers of iron will endure for vonra in fresh water, and the naral vessels which the Government may place on those rivers will be preserved, ehould tho projected water-cooiiuunioatioa councctiu the Xunhern lakes with the great interitjr rivers, by an enlarged ihip-caoal. be carried into effect, ihe ilibsisnippi eundrtn could be made available for the drteuoe of our North urn frontier, when etrcuma'aactH required it. He, furtherfuoie, urges the imf ortanca of measure- being taken for the ed uoaticm of luitable iS'aval engineers, who are rendered eeseittial by the changes of naval structures in the application tf sieam-powor to veesels of war. In relation to tho piratical K"vere '' of the rebels, the Secretary fia;. The recognition of the Ri'twls aa belluer cull by the principal mat ittmo potvei-t i the commouoeuient of hostilities, gave uLrength and character to tbe insurrection, which it nover could liaro had but for tht recognition. A decUrnUcQ of neutrality btween tlie belligurfjits weut abroad from Govvrnmeuts with which we were in auiiiv. uarryiu; with it the semblance of fuirnestt, but which in its operation is most unjust towards this Oovttrnnieutand ooilntry Xhe United States hud an extenbive comoierce wLich penetrated every sea, while the Kub-ela woie without commerce or ships. The United btates uau a nary, aud quedroDit ou almost every ocean; the rebels had not a singre armed vetse. at borne or abroad. wuti a lull knowledge of ineielactu. the principal maritinio po-.i ers cf Europe hastened to recoguii the ItebeU as bvlltgor ents, and to tlculare thut both tho bulliger-enta should be treated alike in i-hoir p-jrtt; that the pubiie armed vessols of neither should remaiu more than twenty-four hours m their harbors, nor receive supplies or as- stance, except such as might be absolutely neueaaary to carry theiu homo, and for three month a thereafter they should not ugaia rucuivs supplies in any of tho pons of those OoveniLUf uis. Vihile this proclaimed neutrality did not htfect a siuglt. ship of the Kebola, fovthcy hud uot oie tu be aueotca, it exctuue 1 ilia naval vu bite is 0; the United estates fiom tbe poi ls of iba prin cipal maritime powers throughout the world, except under the restrictions enumerated. When the Sumttr, a vessel stolen i'rom our merchants, made her ecpe aud wont abroad armed, but without a roconised nationality, to seize aud do a troy our merchantmen upon tho high fiu:i9, she found, unlike tho Alirerine corsairs, rnfuire end protection wilhiu tho maritime juiidic:iou of tlie great European powers with whom tho baited States were in Jnendaliip: and il nally, after byiag followed by our cruijcrs into the harbor ot (iibvalur, una waa fcer-uiitted by tho authoritiDn to remain not only twi'nty-fbur hours, but inoie than twelve mouths, an i wus crfmliytrus-fenx-d to-sii iiijjliiili purcliiit-r, wt-nt to un EngHati port, was r litied. :uid left the Enjr-Ushahui'ds with a coutrubiud c&ro, and hat sine ruu liie Lio-kad-, earrjjii;; iuppliee to the rebels. The Alabama, ihtt JTijrius, the urry.'d, arc armed cruise is, built in England, have an English armameut on hoard, aud are manned by crews who are almostexclusWe-ly European, sailing some times under the Eagliah and some times under the rebel flag, these rovers, without a port of their oVn whioh they can enter, or to which they can send a single prize for adjudication, have roamed tho seas, eapturing and destroying the eumuu'rchil ships, 01 a nation at peace with Great Britain and fiance, but yet, when thoeO corsairs have needed repairs or supplies they have experienced uo difhouity in procuring them, because it basjjeen deemed expedient to recognize the rebels as belligerents. Not one of tho many vessels captured by these rovers has everbdcu Judicially condemned as a legal capture. Wanton destruction has been the object and purpose of the captors, who have burned and destroyed the property of their merchant viotim. Ihe theory of recognising robe la as belligerents so soon as they lift their arms agaiust the Government, and thus declaring them entitled to national privileges on the high sons and in the harbors of the world, although without a port or navy of their own, ia the luauguration of a new policy in tho history of nation1). For a long aucccssioa of years it has bee a an Important poiut in the progress of civlliiiUion, and particularly among the mariiime powers, Hint the police of the seas should be guarded and maintained by the subjection of captures to tbe adjudicAtion , of tribuuals administering the law uf nations, which receive from tlie hands of the captor his pnio into the oustody of that ; law, to be disposed of by its rules ; but ihe course pursued in ioittmng aud giving en-oouregeuioot to the rebel robbers, who, without a recognized national Hag, or a port at their command, ur any rueaua of bringing their captures to judgment, are coalmining iheir predatory aots, is a rea'.oriUiJa of that Algerine aud Tripoli tan syaleni which long Athicied the oivilised world, but which, u inter tbe lead of our Government! wa exterminated in the early part of the prcseut century. Thus far theae rovers have escaped capture. While in the West Indies :hy were protected whenever they were enabled to ilea into a neutral port, or get within a marine league of the shore of a nouiral Government, a privilege that was never in any quarter extended to the Mediterranean corsairs. Unfortunately, moat of the colonial authorities, and no inconsiderable portion of the population ot the European depcucirn-cies, influenced by the professed neutrality which elevated insurgcute, and sought to degrade the national authority to an equality with thorn, were in sympathy with the predatory rover, and while lending them aid and often furnishing them wun information, interposed obstacles and manifested unfrien-1ly feelings to the lawful operations of the naval forces of the Union. Compelled, as we have boen, to Withdraw to a great extent our foreign sciuf d-rons, In order to establish and enf th blookado, the commerco of the United States, spread abroad upon every seH nas huen an-noved. and often Blunder! and destroyed. bv these unlicensed roers. With, noma ot the nobler attributes or gallant and daring and particularly the American sailor, thcfe robbers of the sea hun a naval antatonist. Their prowess exhibits itself in plundering peaceful commerce, and their victims have , been unarmed mei-ehantmen. Traversing the scat, at thev dn, without a country oil their owu to which they can resort, it lus been difficult to trace or meet them; and thus rar they have, wun tbe shelter end "- lfn.nn of Govammanta which l-ocot'nile tbem as belligoreni and equals, managed to clutlc our cruisers. Their early operatione were in tho west Indict, where we have an eitended com- mere, and wher they had cocdjuiors among 1 ibose foraip) dvftri'nroTS wbo ware en- ! gaged in illicit traffic, aad yaiBathisr in a urge portion of the colonial euurariue. Io protect our interests iii th-it quarter, and eeepcially guard the treosure-ahipa in their transit to nd from AspinwalL a flying squadron vraa established in the autumn of lci2, And placed under the eoinaaand of Acting lUat-Admini Kiikrt That officer. by kit energy and decisloa, contributed lo break up one of the several line of illicit traders, organized tc carry aappliee to Uio Rebels in thin o-tensioly bound to t M ua moras, but with cargoes having a con- tingtut destination to Texas. di.plaved .dicWy in ,.. ' . . .1.:. ij . Hftile, bow-seising that class of bloukaue runner, and waa auooea. ful In breakiug up on ui the many enning-ly contrived arnuioeiutnu, h failed lo capture the piratic. 1 ruvtra. ... The uepartbtent- uuiicipatiug tluU tb Aiabuma and her ts.ucieie would find it necessary to ab4nd..u tLe neighborhood of tne Antilles, nd .aiistitrd of the direction they would take, ordered the KoJiderWt, A f.ial steamer, on independent cruising duty, hrst in the West Indies, and thea onward to the f-outii The crdeis to Commander Baldwin, of tho Vaiiiitrbilt. under date of January 27, 1,3, were : "iVhen you re perfectly aiitfled that the Alabama has left the Gulf or ,ie West Indies and gone to som. other kj(.llitt , wiM 1Mahrro0Md ,long th. c0,st J, ijratil to feraando Noronbi and Ri de Janeiro, making inquiries at such possession so long as to defeat the object and purpoie of the Department. He did nut rt-lmisi3 ter until tne 13m of June, wliea Co in tai.. ml er Baldwiu pioceedcd to carry oat liU InMi-ituf loue. but Ue wus too late. He arrived er Fernando eSoioubo un the 4th of July, Kt Pcrnar:bu.N oa the 6:h, and at Bio dm jauuiio oa the 11th; thir.ee he proceeded, on the 2d of upiur, to t. II u lei. a, in-fttead of going diict to the CVpa of Good Kope. The uufonuuato detention of the V-jfitifTbi.: wholly dufented ttie plana or tne ! department t!'c c.-ftwra of the Alabama, ehrUa and Gecr.f. ihey, aa the Depart- ment anticipated, unhid ia those latitude and raited thoie ports in May; out tne VandtrUit Instead of being there to reoeive them, as the Department intended, was improperly retained lu the West Indie until after that period. In S'l'litim to the few vestels atatioued ubrnr.d to g-.i.id oiir'uAtional iutoreata, oth. cr hive fiom tioi to tint been dispatched iu pur-nil of the rovers, nil of which wera built hi ani hiiTe gone abroad from foreign , ports, to prey upon our coriinerce. The de-laiisof ail the menbiires which have been adopted by the department in this view it is not necessary here to disclose. But with most of our naval voxels engaged in enforcing the blockade, and without a clue to guide our independent cruisers on th tracitkbs oeeuu, thoy hav thus far been unable to encounter these seim-pirtiiicsl ves-sl, which ulwajs seek to evade a naral antagonist. eie the probibiliucs greater ihan ihey ure, howovor, of eucouniorlng them, un! were our public naval vessels permuted lo snier the ports or tne maritltoo poweisfor fuel aud other supplies when In oursuii. It wouU not promote tlitautercsts of ooiunioi-ce nor tho wolfure of the country to rolax the blocks da for thut object. Vi h:ivc, however, no txcebs of teamen, nor even a sufficient cnpply for the Immediate rwl iinVnrnt ivn dntii,. that are nresainir un- on us, and ul'boush it would be inexpedient to mxko public U tlie means that are taken and causes that control the action or the Government, it may not bo improper to state that one of our largest and fastest .learners, ui-stined for lorei"n service, has been detained for mouths in consequence of' 'tu inadequate supply of seamen to man her. Other vc.sula are also short oflhoir comple ment. After I'O ntirg out tLe necessity for ob taining additional teamen, and discussing the matter of ordnauce, the SocrcUry thus reports lu regard to prizes captured by our uaval squadrons: The uumbor of vessels captured by the squadron and report, d to the department to the 1st ol oveinocr, is i,uio, ciassinuu at follows: ichoonors, 17; steamers, 179; sloopi, 131; brigs, 6'J; b&rques, 28; ships,-iii; yatchs and imail boa'..-, 117. Tail ia exclusive of a largo number destroyed "U the Mississippi aud othor rivers, And on tho coast. A. table giving their names, dates of capture, aud olhor particulars, is appended l ibis report. At the close oi ihe war of 1812 there were 801 vonclt, including armed gun-boat and tenders, in the navy, and the entire num. berof capturte of armed 'and unarmed vessels made by them was i!91. five hundred tnd seventeen cominiesioned privatuera wero- afloat during the war, and their oapturcs numbered 1-123, making tho total number of ctpuires by public and private vessels 1719. 'ihe value of prises sent to ths Court for adjudication aino the blockado was established it not less tnau thirteen millions dollars. The value of those already condemn-ed, and of which notice has been received at tho Department, is S1,6b8,3S-0; th expenses have been $607,41)7 6H, leaving for distribution 65,697,670-30, aa appears by the following table: A'aJ am't So. 0 Cm am'l Com and for dtovU OafM. 0' llt'l. TjMaM. 0WW. Boston Y4 91,3-S.15 SSi,l8 H to,lMTl Sow Iork....6 S.alo,. : CSl,loo7 l,SJ7,736 n fhllauelnhiaST l,S3'J,4:ii r4 )'.i,8.'-08 l,70,tlI-7 ' K.y V.0II....71 l,i,95-30 loa.aul M l,3(H,ai3-tl M atbitiltou.tt '.-r.oOl-lia ll.96l.-li! 0,9O3'l Illinois" II M.I.I9-S8 0,W3tO 8o,ta-t Total .535 ae.oji.oaiK' Sou7,jT'4 S,t7,t7U'St Ih rem or SC911W 7 allowtt lo claimants hf if eta. of Court. One-half of tho net proceeds arising from the sale of priie. is by law set apart as A fund for the payment of naval pensionB Tho pension-roll on tho 6th of Novsmber last amounted tc S169,61i-56, and the est!-' mated Increase during the remaining eight month of the fiscal year it 832,670. lh moiety or prize money dedicated as a pen-aion fund, and now accumulating, should be made a permanent investment in registered tJovernnient secttritie. Were such the case it is believed that the annual interest would be sufficient to meet all liabilities for naval pcnHious. At least two millions five hundred thousand dollars can now be in-vetted without iuterforing with the prompt ravmMit of pension. 1 recommend that the fund now on hand be mtde permanent, and that, hereafter, whenever the amount hall reach one hundred innutanu uouars, it least one-half shall be invested in registered Government securities bearing six percent, interest. After ecttiug forth the matters connected with the Naval Academy, the Marino corps, ' Coaat Sin vcy, &o , tho Secretary oonclude as fellows : li h.i fallen to nir, lo conduct the flair of this department during a period of trial and sacrifice, in the- course of which our ,-ountrv by an cu'ort which challenges th ad'uiration of the world, has not only craat-ad' naval power, but haa suasessfuily ap. Dlied that power in the most arduous naval enterprise ever undertaken. When under such circumstances, devoting all my ner. eics to ihe duties of my position, and meet-im all its giasvo rcsponaibilitics to the best nf my ability, I have been constantly cheered and sustained by the assured conviction . that lha Savy of tho United States ha achieved a great aud new hittoricnl renown; that it has expanded and ia evpnnding in a measure commensureto with the exigencie of the country tnd of the time; that it has done and is doing ucroic service-... . K.t and sacred cans,', and .hat its lorco 1 wielded by a ho ly of enters and men who bore e"t.ib!ibrd the " th. . Secretary of the Kavy. To the President. jrjgJ FALL IMPORTATION. jcbfctn, Bitts a flT Oarsjrti a-n ! Sraae. rmtATtiLrBU, n.r. tow ouooti thtir Tall Impcrlalloo of KoM UO.O..V1!'. ll,,.w.oa. IS.'lllillll.. ri:tial au Mrjfl PoplilUt, iucv ttUd litack WUk. ."J i Aho, a latp. anitmont or Shawln. Balniorsil tSkirln. j biff JoIb. LineilM. ' I EmbroitltTit?!, A'C ! whch tn.T 0., to ie Trade t the IA)"BT j RKT I'Hll'ti1. aov-J7-U t - ... ..... i -i -i-- ' . .1 -.. ...V 1 - ( i 4 ' ; saaaaaalaam.a.aBTaM.aMliMi.aaBaam5MMMBBja

MILITARY. m wkw-wnst rrvM CKrtxmiiauiD abb acthobijib to J. . Coaaaaar oCOAVAMX M WMIW T7ar Department, Tal. 1.. will to MlM. Marmot eat I la tk mn iMHfi eat wiU iiwln tho aaea. ay, atvaaM toasty aad araalaa. aa la lao Bafalar tayteirv of an. van In ma la la. ark alaa oelk, at tHr. eaa keaonkly 4laro. To nek lb fnalu, I If aat aaVaae. par vUl aaeael W 402 Dollars. ttiotefr KM nlltrt4 om MMhf ear te U-tw m, Mk4 to iwltUttam. bouty w4 prwoiaa. 302 Dollars -s- If la (lulls bbsas shall ant raealro llaea woo p. far aha tall carlo ef thro, yaera, aa thmj .h.U bo I hoaorealv t of i ua I aalta, aaoa Mag auunl oat, la w aajoaatof haaatv i.ejalataf aapaM, too mom m if toe nil nMbManO. Taleslkrraoteatieltte. who u 1 la ewvtoa, akall bo oatitlod to neolr a who, boaatr raawialug mapald at tat tuna af ta.oliar-. alia. f aiali nof jottlag Ibli araaeh of Ik. oar- to at aoply taim.tl.nlr, a hal a abort tun k ailOWOO aOBDMKO WU W1U1UUM. Apvljto OBABOK BKLLi, Ceptal. or, J. W. ABhMTBOBO, Ltealoaaet, OaV ta Bat u rt" BoUdlo-, Back Block. Opinio., laptamhar la, 1W. ..pit DOOK8 & STATIONERY i - Ararican Flags, krada flap. Burnt!; riua, II Ik Flaam. Bd-at aw I aa4 Soal.IT Flat oa baa and aaata to or Am, of la Saavt aolori amd bait mako. PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS. TJofckat, liaal eat ausaat Moat la Ik alt, , irt:.ir.aaaA. ilIvWUlri U"tk ri5E 8TC1 PICTURES!. I ( BaBtrSkM, ABIOM'B. F. aWA kow lot of Banrmk BOOKS, eokeevl o aay aaata of trainaruali, aat of too la BkaMra., ' ; ' ' iGOV.JOHNBBOUOH. txt2 at skit Hittattilikai aua oal rrloailJU. Boat Oar flcuro rl Ho, Alroaral tawoaat . Something New t HIilJ. oa Bound BUoki. Bautlfal Ookxo, o teeth Paper ill Vut about a loog any rug, If not ovpoo to rala. w. aixlji 7a. yor Am., aid I. 10 pot loo. BA3TDAIX 4c 4.8TOV8, wslO . . lt loutk Hlak It., OolDMkw, 0. BILLIARD TABLES. J. M. BRUNSWICK & BRO., Hillianl TUle MlUFACTTJREiiS, No. 8 West Sixth street, I Billiard Cloth, and Ball., fraru Chalk, C. Tip., On Oomont, riala aod Fancy Cool, and othor ilorll DuloDalrif to th. trade, Uat alw cod uatly on hand a auortm.nl of -Pigeon Oolo aod BoKat.ll Tablaa. oTTablao Mippllal with oar latatt atyl Pafcjut CuBilmnatloa OuhloB aud llarbl or Blot Brda t ohorl notloo. J.l a ' The Slantlanl Aiuerioan .BILLIARD TABLE APPRO VXD AtfD ADOPTED BY TBI BILLIARD OONORItW of 1M8. Th bart d onljr f-Mablt Bflltcrd Table utvoofkctiired. BJ!t, Qm, b4 rrj ftkr nlatloc to MUlatds, for tmi by PeiLAM COLLSMDEE, Oor of Omby ud Bpitof UmU, M Tork. runs i furs! LADIES' FURS, Mluet Fun, 1 Chldren's Fura, Gfints' Fur Gloves & Collara, L1DIES' FUR TRIMMED HOODS te., An Unafraally Large Stock of tbe Choicest Goods REASONABLE FRIGES. la quality and extant our etoek le twauiraeed In the ltj. RUDISELL'S HAT, CAP & FUR STORE, 79 men m.f . . COLUMBUS, O. MMIf ATTENTION! FellO'wOltlBsezxai H. H. CHARITON RMPBOTTCtLLT CALLS ON TOT? TO DROP la mhI tuualD. bla ilook aa4 prloe of Frfth .rocerle 6c Provlslona, Jtwt rclTl from N Tork. whlek 1 wUI Mil u low m om kt pmrtibAMd im dt Uoqm 1b ik it j VII at ' TXTo-140, N. E. eorntr Town ind Fourth U., COLUMBUS, OHIO, . a-All food. AaJtrmd It of chajf. , DC. H. CHARITOX. BOOK AGENTS WANTED Itri WAHT TO KlfQAOC TH1 BKBTICES OF V T lay a uabar af lndaatrioutt loetk, f bndow tMt. to aaaTMt br ou publtoaliODS. Liberal in- tbjMMtfl tw UbnA, mUw mi Mlry m per. eeptaft. Tbe MteaUorl of aio)varf4 otdJera U prttoaar iv vreMM w ua aonce. OILUOBI A BRV8H. rttbhaherm, lur Tmiimt, Utliuabu, X CONSIGNMENT. On Ponsignment. MO tea. OhoknaH Fmraao. a. B. fomdrj, tit Iro - MUU, , FITCH A MB, ff Watt arU4-Arf Bonthaut eor. Third Walnut Bta. CUfCUraATI, OHIO, Ttoaktotud Boat fkaroafk OoawaraW laakV taawa ia a, naaa. B kt. BianiTT, - 1. M. W.Tnas, PrnMnt. Frtaorpal, f DAllL Y OHIO STATE VOLUME XXVII. DAILY OHO STATE JOURNAL MfKTT, AIXBBT ok tian ! MONDAT MOKNISO, DECEMBEB 14, . . r,rnirTi'iTfn V But uudr Admiral Vkfclgres NAVY DEPAETl01NTvi wind in.id. th. bar, and w. h.r. Jr I had poawuion of Morrii UUnd, tit com- KEFOBT OF eKCBETABT WCIXKS. Nitt DllAkT)tT. See. 7, 186S. ilk: Th akTkl oparatiun of th jnr it ban Ttxiod tnd man kraaoua, a. well h fr ioaxteiiT, tnn txrore usdar to Qornmnt A blockad eom-maoing kt Aloxandrik, in Virginia, And larminatin at th Rio Orksd. ha bU f- fwtiT.ly ataintoiawt Th kxteat of thi tiliyikado anoordin to AS AOOUrkta tW of meJurmnl oartfuUr prepar.d t th Coaal Sarr.T office. eoTen a ai.ianc or Ihraa Iknnund fiv hundred And fOTtT. Hint itAtat mil, with on husdrod nd ilhty-niae harbor or rirer opoing. or isdeautlou, And muoh of tho eoeet pr.MnU A double ehor to b guarded. In addition U the out blockade, a bataI force of mora, then on hundred Teasel he been emnloTad in nktrollinc the riTen, cutting oS rerfel iuppliee, And eMperAtiJg with th armies tn tne uupreteiou 01 tu j-oouiua. Th diatauc thru traTeretd and pAtrolled by the gunboktl on th Mlesleeippi And it tnbuuriet, 11 ,oto muo, biTsu. rinre And inloli of tbe Stntee upon th Atlkniio And the Gulf, eonring An ax- tent of About 2,000 mile, Ht auo neen puetTAted and watched with unoektisg TigiUnoe. Th blookkd it bwomintt nor effectire and ooaipl.te. Progrees bo been ukde ia repelling the rebelt from the ooaet, and oir-eiuneoribing their limit. The IdUeieeippi and it tributArice kire. AfUr A protracted. pereieMnt, And nrert itruggle, in which the whol energie and effort, of th iu.ur-genu war engaged to obetrnct And prevent our luooe, bean rwpenea to nerigeuo and commerce. Aa th rebel hkre nr poeaetied an open port for either belligerent operation! or commercial purpo, nor a nTl or coonwroikl marine, their mari-tlme trad and vroeeedinn hT been chiefly derived from foreign adventnren and foreign eapiuL If, in th aarly pe riod or th war, tne unearnpuiou ana nn-DrineiDled trader who, in Tiolation of law and public morality, embarked in iUiolt tcheuei to Tiolat th blocked, and (urn-iih th rebela with euppliei, were uoee-ful, Uie general remit of the year, now near it oiobo, dt oeeu to mom uroai uio- ettroue. Th vigilance of our naval foroai and the atringenoy of th blocked have operated with great eeverity on thoee who hare risen in arms against their country, and have earned heavy loasos to those who bar abetted, or have been in sympathy with th rebellion. I do not propose in this rsDort to enter ution th details of our nival operations sine my last annual ommuni-eation, but shall append the omcial reports of the officers theniselTes which best nar rate their reapeotlTe labors and achieve ments, ha nobler encomium can be awarded them than th plain etat.ment of their deeds, and no eummary oan do justice to their unassuming communications. The oruislng grounds of the sereral blockading sijuudrous remain unchanged sine my last report. BoaTH ATLAXIIC StiCADBOK. AotinK Rear-Admiral La contlna.s in command of the Korth Atlantio Bfuadron, faithfully and ably discharging his duties in a position of great responsibility, and, in some respects, of great embarrassment. Seconded and sustained as he has been by ofhoers of seal and efiioiuncy, the rivers of Virginia and the sounds of North Carolina have been penetrated, watched and guarded, as wall as the entire coast, so that all intercourse wun the rebels has bean cut off, with th single eioeption of the port of Wilmington, to close which has been diffi cult from its two inlets, thirty miles apart, flanked by extensiT batteries. Boms ot lb fastest steamer from th Clyde and other quarters, of light draught, have, under oover of darknees, sucoeeded in eluding capture, but most of even that description of Teesels bar fallen into our hands or been driTen on shore. With thee exceptional oases, all foreign aud coastwise com merce with th rebels has oensed In that quarter. At Washington, Newborn, and els.whe.e on th inner waters of North Carolina, and also on the Nansemond. York. and other river -ot Virginia, our naval officers hav been sleepless sentinels, and they bat exhibited examples of heroio braverT and daring In repelling the rebels. and protecting and suocorlug the army when in difficulty, which refleot honor on themselves and the ssrric. S0CTI1 AILUttIO kiuabbos. Th South Atlantic Squadron has contin ued to nforc tb blockade with. Tigilano and an'ML It is not known that any Teasels now elude th Tigilano of the fleet or effeot communication witn the rebels on that ooast. 6o long aa th blockading force remained off Charleston, instead of getting within the bar, the illicit trade at that point was proseouted with some suooeas, and no Tigilano or aotivity could wholly prerenl it. With a view of interdicting all traffic, and, if possible, of capturing Charleston itself, the original seatof insurrection and of disunion, preparations wer made by this Department, commencing more than a year ago, for the occupation of the harbor and the reduction of th dofenseff The completion of th Iron-clad Teasels was urged forward with all the energy the Department oould infuse into th oontraotors, and auon ounr oiueiou. voonoia a couio DC mad ATAilabl wer ordered to th squadron to Add to It power and erhoienoy. Delay and diffioultias intervened, and it was not until the "th of April that a demonstration was made. On th afternoon of that day Rear-Adiuiral Dupont, in the AVie Iron-tida, aocompanied by seven turrated ves-sell of th Monitor class and the gunboat Ktolntk, proceeded up the harbor, and made a vigorous assault npon Fort Sumter. From som difficulty or defect, th Admiral's ship waa unable to got into action, but the others proceeded onward to th attack, and suatained A terriflo concentrated fire from numerous batteries. Owing: to th submerged obstructions, the character of nhioh waa not understood, it waa not deemed advisable to attempt a pas- eage up to the city, and after a contest of less tnan two noun, uie aiguat waa given U) withdraw the fleet Hut comparatively slight iniunr was sustained by the turreted ves sels, and only on life was lost in this re- , . . . v. : v - maraaoie eouieau w auips v,er uoiura sustained such a eonoentratd Are, and the enduring qualities of thi class of Teesels wer fully proved. It was intended to have renewed the attack on th following day, but this intention was subsequently abandoned, and th Teesele weie withdrawn from th harbor, under aa apprehension that thsy could not withstand tie storms of ths season and the flr of the rebel batteries. But Important considerations rendered it nroner that the force should remain inside ths bar, and orders were sent toRear-Ad-miral Dupont to that eifeot. Th report or tn superintending engineer as Is th injuries which th turreted vessels had sustained waa satisfactory, and eonflrmed the Government in it determina tion to olos effectually and completely the sort. o as to prevent ths ingress or egress of a single vessel, And Aiso to promote ope rations Against tne aercneos in .ne naroor Kear-Admirat iropont naTlng expreeaed A willingnee to relinquish th position which he had ooennied for eighteen months. Bear-Admiral Andrew H. Foote waa detailed te relieT him. That brav and distinguished offioer prepared with great alao-rity and promptitude for the duty, but, when on his way to his command, waa seised with fatal illness and died in New York. His assoctats and seoond in command, Rear-Admiral John A. D&hlgren, proceeded immediately to Port Royal, and, on the 6th day of July, assumed command of th squadron. A oonibiued operation of naTl and army forces, the latter under General Gil-more, wa instituted for th occupation and poeeeaion of Morris Island, on thouthid of the entrance to Charleston Harbor. After A long And sever struggl, th army operating npon land with th effioient cooperation of th monitors and th rawioVs, atorria Island, with all its baturl, waa aptured. Bumter was soon mad a pile of ruins by th flero artillery of our forces, although th rebels contrive to continue a small out powerless fore there under th protoetioB of th surrounding batteries. In the slow operations of this protracted siege of evr St months, a well aa in the dem-oasiratiosi f the 7 th of April, both th resisting and attacking powor of ths monitors Las bean illustrated and proven. m.rc of Charleston baa eeaed. Not a single blockade-tuner has succeeded reaohing the city for months, and liis traf fic wnico had been to sou. extant, and wun larg profit, previously carried on, is ox-liuituiahad. As a commercial mart Charles. ton has no existence; her wealth with her trad ha departed. In a military or stra logic Tiew the place ie of tittle consequenoe; and whether the rebels are able by great sacrine and xhaustlon to hold out a lew week mora or lee is of no importance. Jn moat marked and extraordinary con flict within the limits of this squadron, or, indeed, In the service during th year, and in som respeot on of th most sicnlficant ana Instructive naval battles or the war, took place on the 17th of June, in Warsaw Sound, between th Wukawkm, a Teasel of lb monitor class, and ths formidable arm ored sMsmir AtUutta. Lik th contest in Hampton Roads, in March. 1662, when the Honour land the Htmmat wcro engaged, this battle waa between armored vessels of great disparity in site, but Die result was! vaauy more speeuy and ueoisiv. ins 41-fui( wa A powerful tetuwr, had been iron-plated by the rob!, and prepared for war purposes at immense exnense. In tne confidence of certain victory over hr comparatiTOly diminutive antagonists, tn Huhauktn and - th - ahmt. she was aocompanied . by boats loaded with gay parties to witness her triumph, but tne orav omcsrs and men or our turreted Teesels kaw their power and sought the eneounter. This battla was to test not only the Teesels but the new 16-lnch ordnance, then for the first time brought Into naval warfare, and concernini which there had been, as well as with respaot to th vessel. IhemselTos, some variety of opinion. The conflict wa ,0 brief and decisive that only one of iSj fwo monitor vestels, though no, widely separated and each eager for the fight, waa able to participate in the engagement, Th Aahant, having no pilot, followed in th wake of the Wiehawhr., but before she could get into sction the turnout was orer. Buch was th breTily of the fight that the Wakauken, in about lifteon minutes, and with only five shots from her heavy guns, overpowered end captured her formidable antagoniet before the Jfiihant, which was hastening to the work, oould discharge A single shot At the Atlanta. This remarkable result was au additional testimony in favor of th Monitor class of Teasels for harbor defense and coast sorvioe sgainst any naval vessels that have been or are likly to be constructed to visit our shores. It appears also to have extinguished whatever lingering hopes the rebels may have had of withstanding our naval power by naval maus iiSTint qclv sqrADaox. Acting Rear-Admiral Bsiley has contin ued in command of the Eastern Gulf Squadron, olosely blockading tbe Florida Peninsula, from Cape Canaveral, on too eait, to Pensaoola, on the west. There having been no important military iiioremenis within these limits, a close watch of th ooast aud th adjacent waters has been maintained by the navy, resultiug in the capture of many prizes, aud the almost entire annihilation of all illicit trallio. Some important boat expeditioue for cutting out Teasels and de-stroyng rebel salt-works, hare been projected aud executed with success. Lying edja-oent to Cuba, and not far distant from Nassau, the ooaat of Florida presented many arailable points for eluding the blockado, chiefly by email Tessels, which were capable of penetrating the Bhallow harbors aod in- eta wntcn maeut it snores. Uttt tne trade has not bsen carried on with impunity more than one hundred oraft of Tarioua de scriptions have been captured or destroyed by tins squadron during tne ourreut year. waaiitu orjLt sqcasbo.t. Ths duties of the Western Gulf Squadron Uavo beta diversified and exacting. For a considerable part of the year Uear-Admirol sarragut felt hunseli compelled to employ many of his most sflioiont vessels in active river service, co-operating with the army, with a Tiew to reopening the navigation of the Mississippi, and expelling hostile forces from ita banks. Impressed with the great imnortanoe of this work, and aware as the determination of th Government to promptly and firmly re-establish the national authority in that quarter, so that the ocean outlet of the great oontral valluy of the union eoouid oe unrestricted and seoure, Rear-Admiral Farrairut committed the sub ject of the ooast blockade to others of his oommand, and doroted nis unremitting personal attention to th energetic and vigorous prosecution of the sonqueet of the rebels, to overcoming and reducing their batteries, and to removing every obstacle with which they Bought to oppose the navigation of the river, or to resist the authorities of the Union. Boon a tier tne capture or -wui leans in th Bpriug of 1B32, and as th natural result of that event, the naval forces formed a junction! and could the army at that time have iurniened au auequatu co-operating land force, the reduction of Vicksburg might hav been accomplished, and the occupation and laTigation of the river easily secured. But the omission to do this gave the rebels opportunity to Immensely strengthen Vicksburg, and also to fortify Port Hudson and Grand Gulf in addition. What, therefore, might hare been aoootnplished with com-paratively little effort in the summer of 1862, waa a work of immense and almost inoredi-ble labor and difficulty in 1863. It was indispensable that communication should be opened with Rear-Admiral Porter, of the .Mississippi Squadron, and Geu. Grant, both of whom were operating agaiuat Vicksburg. Rear-Admiral Farragul, therefore, moved up In strong Tores irom uaion nougo in March, intending to pass the batteries at Port Hud son, but only his own flagship, the ITartJori, and tn ,4 foafrai,wre success! ui. n iui tnese he succeeded in approaching Vicksburg, aud in communicating with Itoar-AdiuiraT Porter across the peuineula. This gallant act of Rear-Admiral Farrngut being cllocled, the navy had command of the river between Vicksburg and Port Hudson, aud was tn.-bled to establish a blockade of Red R.ver and thus Intercept the supplies from Texas destined for the rebel armies. Tho iusurgeuts felt thi to be on of the roost, serious and fatal blows inflicted on theoi during the year, and from the effects of il they have ' ' I Ti.:- i . l . UBTBr recuvercu. luis aucuuimtaueu, me Admiral left his flag-ship, the liarifori, and returning below by way of Atchaljlaya, he resumed operations for a final assault on Port Hudson. To meet the requirements of th occasion a fore was kept always ready to co-operate with the army in its movements; and on tho part of the navy a con tinuous shelling ot tins place irom nioiur boat, and Tease!, and A naval battery on shore, manned by seamen, was maintained,. seconding the army, nearly ii,uw lo-1'ieh shell wer thrown luto tne works by the mortar Teesels, and the naral battery ol four 0-iuch guns, used aa a breaching bat. terv. performed good serTico. In conse quence of the oaptur of Vicksburg, on the 4tn or July, tn reduction or i-ort Hudson became inevitable, and the garrison finally surrendered, on th 9th of July, to General Banks, who, for some weeks, had besieged the place. Thla waa th last stronghold of resistance to the national Authority on the banks of the Mississippi. The riTer beine now ooened to neao.ful commercial pursnita,Rear-Adrairal F arragut turned, over to itear-Adintral forter the en tire oontrol of the western waters abovs New Orleans, and departed himself for that city. Deeming that his long service and useful labor of eighteen months entitled this gallant officer to special consideration, the department tendered him a respite, which he nieepted, And commodore il. H. Bell, th next offioer in rank, wa appointed to command the squadron in his absence. , . The blockade of the Gulf has been, In the main, effioient and suoocasful, although reverses t Galveston and Sabine Paaa occurred, and, for a time, reckless adventurer and foreign capitalists To some extent succeeded, by perrerting neutral priTiligee and fraudulently abasing neutral rights on the Rio Grande, in oarrylngon illicit trade with rebels through Matador. The Rio Grand COLUMBUS. OHIO; MONDAY beine tb boundary between Mexico and th United Slates, ia open to th navigation of both countries, and could not, tntrerora, D blockaded. W ith a knowledge of this fact multituda of schemes wer projected, and under the diaauis of neutral trade, hi alamo. ras suddenly bomeagreatooiumerclal man for tbe rebels and their friends, uut ui shrewdly devised schemes war soon interrupted with disastrous onquence to moat of those who participated in tnem, ana in occupation of th Rio Grcud and Brown-Till has put a flual termination to th late ly extensiT commerce or AiatAmores, wnicn is becoming aa insignificant aa it was before tne rebellion. wtssiasirri tqcibaoa. Tb Mississippi Squadron has been ac tively engaged m auccessful snort to 0Tr com th rebels and restore the national as cendency in tb great central vall.y of the Dnion. - Rear-Adciiral Porter, who aetiTity, energy, ad roadinee of reeouroe, eminently fitted him for that command, naa xni bitod extraordinary Tigor in Tarioua naval xp ditionson tb Mississippi and its tribntA- ries, sad in sealous co-cperatlou wnn tb amir m most of its important operations. The capture of Arkansas rost, on tn White River, in January, th destruction of the batteries at Grand Gulf In May, and In co-operation with ths army th reduction of Vicksb'irg, which finally surrendered en tne 1th of July, are ths most prominent of th remarkable achievements or Uiis squadron, som of which are marked by incident of singular and romantio daring. In th Ap pendix to this report will be found eorreot reoords or the extraordinary adventure attending the effort to get control of th Ta-too by aweeping from it channel the net work 01 torpedoes, explosive macninea, and oontriTances for submarine warfare, near its confluence with the Mississippi. These f- loi is were followed 'by th novel and sin. gular "Yaioo Pass Expedition," And th ex pedition of "Stool s Bayou ana veer Creek." un tne rignt bans, ot tn Mississippi aceues of interest were also enacted by the hardy sailors and boatmen on th rWere of Arkensas and Aorthern Louisiana, ins Cumberland and the Tennessee hav been actively patrolled by oar vigilant and skill nil naval omcers, and in axoiting chase or Morgan by our steamers on tb Ohio, over distance of fine hundred miles, intercepting him and hit hand when attempting to es- pe, naturally attracted tb alteutlon of the couutry. Btit the great aud important exploits or tots squadron wer la In Tioin- ity or loktourg, where the main ttrengtn of th naval as well as of the military forces were centered, inc maguitude ol the defences or tnis pitue, wnioti ware Intended to ropulse any force,' naral or military, or both combined, which could be brought against them, made the siege for midable, and seemed for a time to defy all attempts at their reduction. In overcoming them, the navy necessarily formed a oon- tmouoiiB aud essential part, tor forty-two days, without intermission, the mortar-boats were throwing shells luto all parts of tbe oitv, and even into the Works beyond it. Heavy guns, mounted on scows, commanded the important water batteries, and for fourteen days maintained an inoosssnt fire upon them. Thirteen heavy guns wer landed from tho Teasels, and officers and men (where they could be spared) were sent to uiau tliem. Tne gunboats below th city, in co-operation with the army, were contiuual- engtiged :n shelling the plaoo. During ho sieue sixteu thousand sliullB were thrown from th mortars, gunboats aud na val naileries upon ui city aud it dtfenett before they capitulated. Ibe oreation mid organization of this large squadrou, which has done suob ef- fectiTB sarvice ou the tipper Jlississipi and its tributaries, extending over a distanoe 1 more than three thousand miles, may bt justly considered among the most wouder- lul events or the times. It is but little over two years since we had not A n&Tul Tessel ou all those waters, where we now have a iquadoon of oue hundred Teasels, oarrylng 102 guus, with crews amounting in tbe aggregate to 6,600 men. Keutucky, Tennessee and Arkansas, the upper portions of Mississippi and Louisiana, and tbe south ern portions of those Stales which border on the Ohio River on the north, hare been relieved and liberated through the instru mentality or the gunboats acting bythein- stives, or in earnest aud oordlaloo-opera-tion with the armies. Rear-Admiral Porter has wall sustained the renown which the tallaut end lamented Focus so nobly sarn- ed, and has carried forward to successful results a larger and mora powerful force than was ever at the disposal of that heroic officer. In creating and organising this squadron, and arming and manning the vessels, it must not bs forgotten that the service labored under many and great disadvantages, for the Government had no Xavy.yard or osttibllehment of it own on which th Departmant could depend. In the absence of anyJGovernmontAl yards, sbops, storehouses, and other neoessary facilities and aids for a naval establishment, luial.o tor mechanics and workmen, it became neoessary to collect and band out and receive supplies from eomeeenlral and secure position. This work lias boeu per formed ohieuy at lairo, under the superintendence and management of officers who have doTotod themselves to their less con spicuous but not less indispensable work with an assiduity aud labor not surpassed even by their more active associates who ware facing the enemy. roTOKac rr,otiiJ.A. Allured by high prices and the prospect of gain, meroonary adventurers, a well as rebels and rebel sympathisers, bst continued to carry on to some extent .illicit And eontrabaud traffic between Maryland and Virginia, rendering it necessary to main tain a considerable torce on tn rotomso. Cho flotilla, under command of Commodore liarwood, has kept a close watch and guard to intercept aud prevent, as far as possibl, communication with th rebels, and many oapturcs haTO been made; but the punish ment lnuiotcd on those who attempt to deal with traitors and furnish them supplies baa been so light, mat these petty contrabandists, as well aa the mora open blookad-run- nert, have carried on their employment with some degree of impunity. In one or two instances, armed bodies of men have appeared ou the Virginia shore, as if with the inteution of molesting navigation, but they have abruptly Hod on the approach of a gunboat. To guard against possibl eon-tiugenoics at tho time of the invasion of Maryland aud Penusylvaula, which terminated lu tho battle of ttysburg, vessels were stationed at what were deemed available points along the upper waters of the Uhesakcake to co-operate witn tne military authorities. A gunboat was sent up th Susquehanna to Havre -de-Grace, another up the Gunpowder, a third up tho Black-water, while one was also posted at Annapolis, tnd another at Wilmington. PACIFIC SQUADROU. Tho force in the Paoitto remains the sam adJOHUhe date of my last annual report, with Sy addition of the Saginaw and th FaraUilp, slors6bip at Aoapulco. CiUtHig Rear-Admiral Charles H. Boll continues In oommand of the squadron, and has attended to our interests in that quar ter. The vigilance of this officer and of Cnpt. Thomae 0. Selfridg. Commandant of the rtavy-yara ai .uare laianu, wun tne active oo-operation of the ouetom-house and revenue authorities on our western ooaat. K. iniei sooted aud tusnressed all atlemnts to fit r, it rebel piratical cruiser on ths Pa- eific. The schooner C. Chapman was dtteoted in the harbor of San Francisco in the month of May last, and eeited by th eloop-of-war Cutmi. with men, armament and military supplies on board, evidently intended to prey upon our commerce. Some indtoatlona of a scheme to fit out a rebel cruiser having been communicated by our Consul at Victo ria, Admiral Bell dispatched the Saginaw to Washington Territory to ascertain the faota, tnd, if necessary, to take prompt measures in regard to them. Although it was ascertained mat som proceedings had taken place sufficient to give rise to reports ol a uesign 10 ni out a piratical craft under the rebel flag front British waters, there wer no subtaan- tial grounds lo apprehend that such scheme oould b carried into tfeot, specially in view of th friendly disposition and earnest resolve of Colonial authorities to discountenance and prevent suoh illegal proceedings. The Sagamav, therefor r turned to San Franoisoo from a satisfactory MORNING. DECEMBER 14. 1SG3. saisaion to th north-wt ooaat. Th sea cli of this squadron bat daring th year Tisited the principal port on th Paoino eoaat, aofl by their protenct trAgthnd our diplomatic And ona Hilar representa tive, Ana UnaartM a reeling or Motility io Aeurioan cititea and America Internet aherever they kav appeared, , Tsaskx l. ihb a atT UDtia. In th at India and China Baa tb JamMm and th Wyoming bat guarded American Interests during th patyar, and with the exception of A disturbance which it i to be regretted occurred at Ja pan, all ha remained quiet in that region. Ia the month of July, while the Wyoming was at Yokohama, Information wa received that the American steamer ratetoAo had been fired npon by Japan veatola. Commander McDongal immediately proceeded to the locality of tbe outrage, whore he was fired upon from six land batwriee. And a naval fore oonsieting of A steamer, a bark And A brig. An action of oa hour followed, in which it I staved that th teaar of the enemy wa blown up, th bark aunk, and th brig mad a complete wrack in her caper work, while eoaslderthl damage wa don lo th land battarie. Th Bmray withdraw after thus vindicating th honor of th Aaaerioaa flag, naTlng austained A lost of tltven killed and wounded. TO BATAX, loaci. I bar mentioned In former reports that the naral foro At th commencement or thu Administration consisted of 76 Teasels, aad of these only 42 war in commission. Th additions which bar sine beta mad oat derated the country into a A rot-class naval power, in tb following utile an axninii Is presented of th actual number aad do se riptioa of our naral Teasels At tb data cf my last report and at the present tlm. UnaoaTanv JStluM of tat ARy,iMetmMr, . 1862 and 1863. IvoVI fruB 'Tea1. Kavy at th. dat. of ptoMBl ro ! J port m ; 4,H 7,tT Vavy at the data of last report ur l.MSatO.OM lafH, Inclnslvt of thoe. j lwt J 11 I 1.1THT,S1 TsmcU of the Wavy Latt una Ptemitr, 1662. ,'No. orNo.of lo wh.t BBnn.r lo.l. j vm'1. geu. . Toa'fc Ooptoiad IS i , 0,9.7 IMtrovadtoprevantfalllnMluto; , t hoods of l.b.1. SB ' I BRJ think I. Utile or by t,rpodeeel t ' f ! .m thipwnok, An aadooUlaloa....; 1J i tl t,SM Tot.l .-a! M i ll ; 1,BM Yttrlt glased under torutntction tmtt Dttonu btr, 1863. ;Jo. ofSo.efj DoMrtptloa. Ivoo'l. sua., Tea's Doubl. nd Iron itoamors 1,030: too. each m. 9tol.turrtlroB-clda, Sletona: each i Seubla lurrat .ad Ireo-olad. 3,130 ton. Mdi.. I Clipper Hnw .loops, 1,200 ton. Mb Sanw-atoop., spar-deck, 1,100 tool each J aoraw-loopa of groat .pood, J,.! 2ootou. each Seriw-iioop. or grMt apood, s,.i T,U0 ll.reo W.oM ta,0O XT.eX le.ooo t.ooo to , ! ISO I to It I wv iuu. auu ' Totol.'. ' Ovural Exhibit of th Aory warn A Vunli under Gmttruetion are tomphttd. iKo. of Xo. of j'vos'bl guD. Tod's Iroa-oladatoam.r.. ooaat oorvlvo; St iroD-cIsd itMmara, Inland oar- iMca-woeo! eamr. ' ft. ooraw alaamani... ....! lot VIC. ' te i 1,6 1,31.1 alUns vwsals lu 70,230 TMll . There have been added to tSb nary dur ing the past year, by purchase, some thirty tug, ovar fifty steamer for blockading and upply purposes, and over twonty other vessels for tenders and store-ships. At least twenty of th steamers wer captured In endeavoring to violate th blocked. nrHOVEaJUtrt Iff KataI vassal. Coon the assumption that the United States are to otoupy a leading position amonir marituno nations, A primary object with th Government must be the mainten ance of a naval force, adequate lor defenoe .gainst all foreign aggression. The thor ough transformation whioh has taken place n th character of naval warfare la tho re sult of a change not leu oomplet in tb character and construction of naral vessels. The sailing shlus-of-war, whose construction had been brought almost to perfection, wore superseded first by paddle-wheel steamers, and they in turn hav. given place to Teasels propelled by tub-mergtd sorews. Steamers, howeTer, are Habit to disasters In battle, from which sailing Tcsssl ar exempt, A single chance shot may disable tb most powenul steam- aud this exposure, rendering Tea sels of this claa unsafs and dangerous, has led to precautions and safeguards for their protection, in th form of iron armature, by which a flrst-olass man-of-war ia made luTulnerabl to the ordnauce formerly used in naval warfare. But this new form cf defonec haa developed with it corresponding Improvement in the form and foro of attack; and thus the proper naval armament of th present day, con-silting of a calibre, reach and power heretofore regarded aa impoaaiblo, haa become as novsl end experimental as ths new naval structures and defenses whioh it Is intended to assail. These successive changes, introducing into naval war-vtsaels powerful machinery to insure speed, armature for it protection, and heavy ordnanoe for assiult, nave led to a necessary constant increase In the aiie of ships, until the attainment of sufficient dimsusions for a first-rate man-of-war steamer, properly armored and with suitablo armament and room for supplies, requires proportions which at first view seem enormous. Yet without such greatly augmented slit, the essentials of invulnerability, speod, heavy armament, and space for the necessary supplies for the cruising. operations, cannot all be secured.In tbe responsible task of applying to naval vessels and navni Armament tne prlnoiplee which model u invention and improvement have developed, the department has been compelled to pursue a path hitherto, to a great extent, unexplored. The monitor class of armortd ehlpa, with revolving turrets snd few guus of heavy oalibro, has proved ttsslf to be well adapted lor naroor derense and coast aervlo, and In some emergencies these vessels, from their great powers of scdurance, hav shown themaelvea to be ef ficient and aervieable In offensive opera tions. This form and description of vessel. whioh originated in the inTentiTC genius of Capt, John ricBson,wui periorm not on y au that should be expected of them to make our harbors secure, but when of enlarged ca pacity, may supercede ship of higher pre tensions, to maintain our riguuui maritime position, and for predominance upon the ocean, Teesels of greater alia than any turreted Tessel yet completed may be essential. Not only must they carry gunt of a heavier calibre than hav heretofore been used at sea, but in order to make long criilsea, aud to cop successfully with any fore, thea vessels must have all possibl strength, endoranoe, and speed. Their structure must, therefore, afford space enough for full sailing power, and for th most powerful steam machinery, and the large supplies of fuel needful to keap il at work. Being, unuxe outer great maritime nations, without distant colonies, where coal depots oan b established on the shore of almost every act, we must oonform to the necessities of our condition, end build shins with capacity enough to take on board fual sufficient for a long cruise. The tpace for other supplies, for munitions of war, and for the accommodation of offioer and crews, should also be ample, and, in Add! lion to this, each of thee vessel must, in order to accomplish it work, present In it oonstruction. Armor, Armament and propul sion, all the power that th resources of modern invention and meohAnlcal ecienca and art oan furnish for attack, resistance and pursuit. A vessel of thi description must, of course, cost A urge price. But than a wis altemnthip will not fall to perceiv that th possession of even a very few such unconquerable ships must, while Tastly augmenting the foro and renown of our navy, snord ne. si tne tarn urn, tn in JOURNAL. stimabl gua rants of poao with foreign nations; nor, in counting th cost of such floating structure, can w forget that, larg s that ooet may b, u yt .inks into insignificance in contrast with th expenditure, and aaarific of a (iagl year, or van a auonth. of foreign war. la order that w Buy have At aoi om- maod a navy which shall fulfill the unexampled and exacting conditions of efficiency, a commensurate public eetabliaameht for it construction and preparation u icdis-penaubi. A navy-yard on a larg aoale, aad in many respects, of a new plan, amply furnished with all the proper facilities ani aid for it operations, whera machinery for teaman oan b manufactured, iron vessels construotad. iron armature made and lasted, snd repair of very deeeriptioa executed, it aa abewluta nec.ea.lty. In view of these Ueta. I had the honor, oa tucceeeiv occa sion, to or ire this matter upon the attention of tb last Congress, and th omission of that body to Uk even tne preliminary measures toward th procurement aad formation of such an establishment is a misfor tune which th country ie now mad to feel The nature of th sorrio to which oar naval vessels hav been subjected by long Ahdconlinuous blockade, their exposure dur ing all weather snd seasons, the aeeeaeity of keeping them under constant a learn or their fire banked teady for any emergoney, hare put them to seTer tests. Of bourse all Teasels must at times be withdrawn for ro- pair and refitment, and steamers subjsct to auoh hard usag muat otten b seriously damaged. Weeks, and tome timet months, bat been required for the renovation or re storation of thotr engines ana machinery. Such delay ha been cull further protracted by th Inability of our public yardt and ahopa to axeeut th work, nd the Department depending in a great degree on private iuduatry, haa been in a constant struggle to dispatacb th steamers sent lor repairs. The limited facilities for manufacturing and repairing steam machinery at the public Kavy.yards render them totally inadequate lo meet a moiety of the demands mads upon them. Eveq with tbe aid of private establishment, no inconsiderable portion of our naval foro U waiting, unemployed, and detained fiom actlv service to th injury of the country. As an Inslauc or tb delay at-louding the repair of our ships ami the insufficiency of our public works to meet our wants, It may be mentioned lhal the tteam-frigat Xugara, ordered to Boston for re pairs and refitment, was detained louneen months for its completion. I sgsiu, there for, moat aruestly Invoke the attention of longress to tne meanest uu luauopiuivus fact that our Government has made u sufficient provision in its publio sslablithments for Ihe existing requirements of naval war fare. So long as our thips-of-war wert lo bt built of wood and propelled by tails, our facilities for their construction wer ample and complete. At former periods the Uot-ernment, in Tiew of its then present end prospective wants for naval purpose, Incurred large expense in establishing dock-ysrds and otherwise providing for the service, but new deftneet end armament, vessels of Iron, new motiv power, and different material io their structure, require new dock-yards and workshops; ths Introduction of steam, the submerged propeller, the iron vessel, the armored ship, call for a different description of artisans, at well as different materials and workmanship. Our cruutry is better proparcd for this change than almost my other maritime nation, for we have but few sailing vessels of the large class, and these few to which steam cannot be applied maybe ussd to advantage for other than uirhtini? nurnoses: one of them, the Vtrmoni, has noun fitted aud used at a storeship, and the A'ne Hampthirt, formerly the Alabama, a shlp-of-the-liue, is being prepared for s similar purpose. They ate each available aud useful for this object, adapted to it In every respect, and can be mads oapahle of defenoe egiiost attack. But for cruis ing and the objects held In view in tneir coustruiioo, these magnificent speciciena of 'he old naral architecture and of the skill nf our mechanics, although, in their day they .derated the naval dignity and attested the power of the Republio, have now become comparatively useless. Th atrtnglh and durability of wooden vessels are In some respects inferior to those mad of Iron, and eor.iequently they are less capable of sustaining the heaviestai-aa-inent, and when they ar plated with iron the disparity 1 increased. Consequently large ships of war, by which maritime supremacy it to be eoliieved and maintained, will, in all probability, be ultimately con. itructtd chiefly of iron, ill ooniparativt advantages and disadvantages of iron and wood at the material to bt used in the construction of vessels are obvious and practical. Amonir the considerations in favor of iron-clad vessols with hulls of wood are th rapidity with whioh they oan b built, th abnndance of material on our whole ooast, and the facility with which workmen can be procured. Such vessels, moreover, can be coppered, ana uiereoy retain tneir speed for a longer period. They will be less Affected by A solid shot bslow th armature or plating, and th fracture made by h shot can b mora easily nitnueu. The disadvantage of wooden vessels are want of strength, as compered with thus of iron structure, and ths more rapid decay of the material, particularly when covered with iron plating; the action of th immersed Iron armor on th copper sheathing near it, causing tht oonner to bcom foul and tb immersed armor plate to weste; tbe difficulty of keep ing th vessels tight unuer tne armor piaies, and the orobablv greater damage to which thv are exposed from shells. On the other hand, th greater strength of iron permits the construction of ships of greater aiie and finer Hues; and having greater internal ca-nacltv. they oan be at any time inspected In all their parts, are Bale from fir, and are better protected from great leaks, as they oan have water-tight compartments; thalr repairs can generally be inoro easily made, and, from their great durability, 'ley are probably In th end not more costly. An iron vessel, moreover, oan he taken from the water and plaoed on land for pre servation, which cannot b don with wood en vessels. The disadvantages of iron vessels are th serioua local we.lt- nos of the thin plates oomposing the bot tom of an iron ship; ths danger that would result from gotling on rocks or submerged obstructions; their liability to rapidly become fonl in salt water, whereby their apoed bMonae greatly Impaired, thus requiriug to be frequently docked for cleauiug; the great danger from a shot striking below the armor plstingas they roll; the injury caused by the splinters ol iron when the plates sre broken or smasnea oy snot, ine corrosion inside from bilge water; the difficulty in eking temporary repairs of shot holes; snd limited number of artisans yet to be procured having skiUTu this description or emplovment. It should aleo be borne in mind that, while w have SBveral Navy-yards for building wooden vessels, the Government posseBKS not a single ysrd and es tablishment lor constructing tnose oi n-ou, or van. for making elates and shafting. While th principal attention of th de partment has, in tnis crisis Ol our auoua, been neeeessrily given to ure-ent and mora nnulnr necessities, it his, nevertheless, i,.nt in view the important end of e.tab- keot Jn view the important lishingour naral power on a permanent Oasis, rroposais wor m.ucu ,v. .v-l.,t .hln nf the lareest class, (under the authority contained in the appropriation bills.) but tne coil, aa anowu uy ui pru,-lions reocived for a ship of the neoessary m.n.imde. waa so ureal that it was deemed advisable to cuter no contract involving so large an expenditure, xopt by tb express sanction of Congress. In order, however, that justice uouid, in som degree, be done to the naval branch of the publio service, and that it might be able to sustain its rightful poeitiou upon ths ocean .t.- ., nf a fAraiffU war. lha cartiea eomcetinz for the large steamers were in- ..r.- t.-t. ..inn.l. for one of about ' half the nronoeed tonnage. One offer made ..a., ibi. Inviiation. at the moot reason able rate that could be obtained, nd which It wa deemed the interest of the Government not to exoed, was, with some modifi. oations, accepted. Ther ar uo parties in this country fttUy prepared to build Iron vessel of th mag. an,i rlMorintlon proposed, and the present high prices oT material and labor unaroidably enhance th cost Ths Got-iiwlf is unnre Dared to execuU any auch work, having no suitabl yard and ee- tabliahmoni. and is rooeequenuy waoiiy i NUMBER 142. . . - j , t ai i .1 P tai what they think proper, and prescribe their owa tar me. Oa former aud repeated occa sions, and elsewhere in this report, th De partment haa fully expressed it opinion of uiu poiioy ana tn necessity why theiipv-ei-nmeut ahould be prepared to build iron vrssels, and the neoessary raaohinery, of th largeat class. besides the turreted Teasels for coast defence and largearmored ships for naral conflict, wc need and should have steamers of high speed constructed of wool, with which to sweep the ocean, aud chase and bunt i down the vessels ot an enemy. Fortunate- lv, we are able to supply ourselves with ves- '"' t'lP"!'. "d competent ud healthful competition existt lor Ih.ir construction A l.rge portion of ti,t et tab- ..rum.i aii.piea io in. consrruc-i on T -. wj i place, as you may Uiiuk adviaauie. from derrtmentlnthe n.anufacturoofhtcanima.Ki, coliulu) TUUr-cour.e to the Cap. of chinery for vessels buildir, g at th. avy. , Good H ., yards and at private establishment. . lo degatioo of these special and ex-Th Secretary then proceeds to discuss, plicit edu, Acting P.ear-Adniiral Wilkes, t eonddorabl length, the Importance of es- a tailing in with the Vandtrbtlt, trans. tublishing a suitable XaTy-yjrd, workshops, f'T1 u' ? uUjU . , T .. ... , ; Ing her to hi j squadron, detained her in hi . dock, and meh in rr for tbe construction and repair of tn Iron-clad tar 5. to which the prt .et KaTT-yardj are nut ndupte J. He alto recommends est&bliauiiitf a oavitl depot, foundry, eu.t at tome suitable point on one of the riTere in the M!ibit3iipii Valley. He it.tei that on Ui MiasiislppI and ita tributaries tlicre are aw one hundred national reuels. On ti.il subject tho Sec ro ta 17 says : Steamers of iron will endure for vonra in fresh water, and the naral vessels which the Government may place on those rivers will be preserved, ehould tho projected water-cooiiuunioatioa councctiu the Xunhern lakes with the great interitjr rivers, by an enlarged ihip-caoal. be carried into effect, ihe ilibsisnippi eundrtn could be made available for the drteuoe of our North urn frontier, when etrcuma'aactH required it. He, furtherfuoie, urges the imf ortanca of measure- being taken for the ed uoaticm of luitable iS'aval engineers, who are rendered eeseittial by the changes of naval structures in the application tf sieam-powor to veesels of war. In relation to tho piratical K"vere '' of the rebels, the Secretary fia;. The recognition of the Ri'twls aa belluer cull by the principal mat ittmo potvei-t i the commouoeuient of hostilities, gave uLrength and character to tbe insurrection, which it nover could liaro had but for tht recognition. A decUrnUcQ of neutrality btween tlie belligurfjits weut abroad from Govvrnmeuts with which we were in auiiiv. uarryiu; with it the semblance of fuirnestt, but which in its operation is most unjust towards this Oovttrnnieutand ooilntry Xhe United States hud an extenbive comoierce wLich penetrated every sea, while the Kub-ela woie without commerce or ships. The United btates uau a nary, aud quedroDit ou almost every ocean; the rebels had not a singre armed vetse. at borne or abroad. wuti a lull knowledge of ineielactu. the principal maritinio po-.i ers cf Europe hastened to recoguii the ItebeU as bvlltgor ents, and to tlculare thut both tho bulliger-enta should be treated alike in i-hoir p-jrtt; that the pubiie armed vessols of neither should remaiu more than twenty-four hours m their harbors, nor receive supplies or as- stance, except such as might be absolutely neueaaary to carry theiu homo, and for three month a thereafter they should not ugaia rucuivs supplies in any of tho pons of those OoveniLUf uis. Vihile this proclaimed neutrality did not htfect a siuglt. ship of the Kebola, fovthcy hud uot oie tu be aueotca, it exctuue 1 ilia naval vu bite is 0; the United estates fiom tbe poi ls of iba prin cipal maritime powers throughout the world, except under the restrictions enumerated. When the Sumttr, a vessel stolen i'rom our merchants, made her ecpe aud wont abroad armed, but without a roconised nationality, to seize aud do a troy our merchantmen upon tho high fiu:i9, she found, unlike tho Alirerine corsairs, rnfuire end protection wilhiu tho maritime juiidic:iou of tlie great European powers with whom tho baited States were in Jnendaliip: and il nally, after byiag followed by our cruijcrs into the harbor ot (iibvalur, una waa fcer-uiitted by tho authoritiDn to remain not only twi'nty-fbur hours, but inoie than twelve mouths, an i wus crfmliytrus-fenx-d to-sii iiijjliiili purcliiit-r, wt-nt to un EngHati port, was r litied. :uid left the Enjr-Ushahui'ds with a coutrubiud c&ro, and hat sine ruu liie Lio-kad-, earrjjii;; iuppliee to the rebels. The Alabama, ihtt JTijrius, the urry.'d, arc armed cruise is, built in England, have an English armameut on hoard, aud are manned by crews who are almostexclusWe-ly European, sailing some times under the Eagliah and some times under the rebel flag, these rovers, without a port of their oVn whioh they can enter, or to which they can send a single prize for adjudication, have roamed tho seas, eapturing and destroying the eumuu'rchil ships, 01 a nation at peace with Great Britain and fiance, but yet, when thoeO corsairs have needed repairs or supplies they have experienced uo difhouity in procuring them, because it basjjeen deemed expedient to recognize the rebels as belligerents. Not one of tho many vessels captured by these rovers has everbdcu Judicially condemned as a legal capture. Wanton destruction has been the object and purpose of the captors, who have burned and destroyed the property of their merchant viotim. Ihe theory of recognising robe la as belligerents so soon as they lift their arms agaiust the Government, and thus declaring them entitled to national privileges on the high sons and in the harbors of the world, although without a port or navy of their own, ia the luauguration of a new policy in tho history of nation1). For a long aucccssioa of years it has bee a an Important poiut in the progress of civlliiiUion, and particularly among the mariiime powers, Hint the police of the seas should be guarded and maintained by the subjection of captures to tbe adjudicAtion , of tribuuals administering the law uf nations, which receive from tlie hands of the captor his pnio into the oustody of that ; law, to be disposed of by its rules ; but ihe course pursued in ioittmng aud giving en-oouregeuioot to the rebel robbers, who, without a recognized national Hag, or a port at their command, ur any rueaua of bringing their captures to judgment, are coalmining iheir predatory aots, is a rea'.oriUiJa of that Algerine aud Tripoli tan syaleni which long Athicied the oivilised world, but which, u inter tbe lead of our Government! wa exterminated in the early part of the prcseut century. Thus far theae rovers have escaped capture. While in the West Indies :hy were protected whenever they were enabled to ilea into a neutral port, or get within a marine league of the shore of a nouiral Government, a privilege that was never in any quarter extended to the Mediterranean corsairs. Unfortunately, moat of the colonial authorities, and no inconsiderable portion of the population ot the European depcucirn-cies, influenced by the professed neutrality which elevated insurgcute, and sought to degrade the national authority to an equality with thorn, were in sympathy with the predatory rover, and while lending them aid and often furnishing them wun information, interposed obstacles and manifested unfrien-1ly feelings to the lawful operations of the naval forces of the Union. Compelled, as we have boen, to Withdraw to a great extent our foreign sciuf d-rons, In order to establish and enf th blookado, the commerco of the United States, spread abroad upon every seH nas huen an-noved. and often Blunder! and destroyed. bv these unlicensed roers. With, noma ot the nobler attributes or gallant and daring and particularly the American sailor, thcfe robbers of the sea hun a naval antatonist. Their prowess exhibits itself in plundering peaceful commerce, and their victims have , been unarmed mei-ehantmen. Traversing the scat, at thev dn, without a country oil their owu to which they can resort, it lus been difficult to trace or meet them; and thus rar they have, wun tbe shelter end "- lfn.nn of Govammanta which l-ocot'nile tbem as belligoreni and equals, managed to clutlc our cruisers. Their early operatione were in tho west Indict, where we have an eitended com- mere, and wher they had cocdjuiors among 1 ibose foraip) dvftri'nroTS wbo ware en- ! gaged in illicit traffic, aad yaiBathisr in a urge portion of the colonial euurariue. Io protect our interests iii th-it quarter, and eeepcially guard the treosure-ahipa in their transit to nd from AspinwalL a flying squadron vraa established in the autumn of lci2, And placed under the eoinaaand of Acting lUat-Admini Kiikrt That officer. by kit energy and decisloa, contributed lo break up one of the several line of illicit traders, organized tc carry aappliee to Uio Rebels in thin o-tensioly bound to t M ua moras, but with cargoes having a con- tingtut destination to Texas. di.plaved .dicWy in ,.. ' . . .1.:. ij . Hftile, bow-seising that class of bloukaue runner, and waa auooea. ful In breakiug up on ui the many enning-ly contrived arnuioeiutnu, h failed lo capture the piratic. 1 ruvtra. ... The uepartbtent- uuiicipatiug tluU tb Aiabuma and her ts.ucieie would find it necessary to ab4nd..u tLe neighborhood of tne Antilles, nd .aiistitrd of the direction they would take, ordered the KoJiderWt, A f.ial steamer, on independent cruising duty, hrst in the West Indies, and thea onward to the f-outii The crdeis to Commander Baldwin, of tho Vaiiiitrbilt. under date of January 27, 1,3, were : "iVhen you re perfectly aiitfled that the Alabama has left the Gulf or ,ie West Indies and gone to som. other kj(.llitt , wiM 1Mahrro0Md ,long th. c0,st J, ijratil to feraando Noronbi and Ri de Janeiro, making inquiries at such possession so long as to defeat the object and purpoie of the Department. He did nut rt-lmisi3 ter until tne 13m of June, wliea Co in tai.. ml er Baldwiu pioceedcd to carry oat liU InMi-ituf loue. but Ue wus too late. He arrived er Fernando eSoioubo un the 4th of July, Kt Pcrnar:bu.N oa the 6:h, and at Bio dm jauuiio oa the 11th; thir.ee he proceeded, on the 2d of upiur, to t. II u lei. a, in-fttead of going diict to the CVpa of Good Kope. The uufonuuato detention of the V-jfitifTbi.: wholly dufented ttie plana or tne ! department t!'c c.-ftwra of the Alabama, ehrUa and Gecr.f. ihey, aa the Depart- ment anticipated, unhid ia those latitude and raited thoie ports in May; out tne VandtrUit Instead of being there to reoeive them, as the Department intended, was improperly retained lu the West Indie until after that period. In S'l'litim to the few vestels atatioued ubrnr.d to g-.i.id oiir'uAtional iutoreata, oth. cr hive fiom tioi to tint been dispatched iu pur-nil of the rovers, nil of which wera built hi ani hiiTe gone abroad from foreign , ports, to prey upon our coriinerce. The de-laiisof ail the menbiires which have been adopted by the department in this view it is not necessary here to disclose. But with most of our naval voxels engaged in enforcing the blockade, and without a clue to guide our independent cruisers on th tracitkbs oeeuu, thoy hav thus far been unable to encounter these seim-pirtiiicsl ves-sl, which ulwajs seek to evade a naral antagonist. eie the probibiliucs greater ihan ihey ure, howovor, of eucouniorlng them, un! were our public naval vessels permuted lo snier the ports or tne maritltoo poweisfor fuel aud other supplies when In oursuii. It wouU not promote tlitautercsts of ooiunioi-ce nor tho wolfure of the country to rolax the blocks da for thut object. Vi h:ivc, however, no txcebs of teamen, nor even a sufficient cnpply for the Immediate rwl iinVnrnt ivn dntii,. that are nresainir un- on us, and ul'boush it would be inexpedient to mxko public U tlie means that are taken and causes that control the action or the Government, it may not bo improper to state that one of our largest and fastest .learners, ui-stined for lorei"n service, has been detained for mouths in consequence of' 'tu inadequate supply of seamen to man her. Other vc.sula are also short oflhoir comple ment. After I'O ntirg out tLe necessity for ob taining additional teamen, and discussing the matter of ordnauce, the SocrcUry thus reports lu regard to prizes captured by our uaval squadrons: The uumbor of vessels captured by the squadron and report, d to the department to the 1st ol oveinocr, is i,uio, ciassinuu at follows: ichoonors, 17; steamers, 179; sloopi, 131; brigs, 6'J; b&rques, 28; ships,-iii; yatchs and imail boa'..-, 117. Tail ia exclusive of a largo number destroyed "U the Mississippi aud othor rivers, And on tho coast. A. table giving their names, dates of capture, aud olhor particulars, is appended l ibis report. At the close oi ihe war of 1812 there were 801 vonclt, including armed gun-boat and tenders, in the navy, and the entire num. berof capturte of armed 'and unarmed vessels made by them was i!91. five hundred tnd seventeen cominiesioned privatuera wero- afloat during the war, and their oapturcs numbered 1-123, making tho total number of ctpuires by public and private vessels 1719. 'ihe value of prises sent to ths Court for adjudication aino the blockado was established it not less tnau thirteen millions dollars. The value of those already condemn-ed, and of which notice has been received at tho Department, is S1,6b8,3S-0; th expenses have been $607,41)7 6H, leaving for distribution 65,697,670-30, aa appears by the following table: A'aJ am't So. 0 Cm am'l Com and for dtovU OafM. 0' llt'l. TjMaM. 0WW. Boston Y4 91,3-S.15 SSi,l8 H to,lMTl Sow Iork....6 S.alo,. : CSl,loo7 l,SJ7,736 n fhllauelnhiaST l,S3'J,4:ii r4 )'.i,8.'-08 l,70,tlI-7 ' K.y V.0II....71 l,i,95-30 loa.aul M l,3(H,ai3-tl M atbitiltou.tt '.-r.oOl-lia ll.96l.-li! 0,9O3'l Illinois" II M.I.I9-S8 0,W3tO 8o,ta-t Total .535 ae.oji.oaiK' Sou7,jT'4 S,t7,t7U'St Ih rem or SC911W 7 allowtt lo claimants hf if eta. of Court. One-half of tho net proceeds arising from the sale of priie. is by law set apart as A fund for the payment of naval pensionB Tho pension-roll on tho 6th of Novsmber last amounted tc S169,61i-56, and the est!-' mated Increase during the remaining eight month of the fiscal year it 832,670. lh moiety or prize money dedicated as a pen-aion fund, and now accumulating, should be made a permanent investment in registered tJovernnient secttritie. Were such the case it is believed that the annual interest would be sufficient to meet all liabilities for naval pcnHious. At least two millions five hundred thousand dollars can now be in-vetted without iuterforing with the prompt ravmMit of pension. 1 recommend that the fund now on hand be mtde permanent, and that, hereafter, whenever the amount hall reach one hundred innutanu uouars, it least one-half shall be invested in registered Government securities bearing six percent, interest. After ecttiug forth the matters connected with the Naval Academy, the Marino corps, ' Coaat Sin vcy, &o , tho Secretary oonclude as fellows : li h.i fallen to nir, lo conduct the flair of this department during a period of trial and sacrifice, in the- course of which our ,-ountrv by an cu'ort which challenges th ad'uiration of the world, has not only craat-ad' naval power, but haa suasessfuily ap. Dlied that power in the most arduous naval enterprise ever undertaken. When under such circumstances, devoting all my ner. eics to ihe duties of my position, and meet-im all its giasvo rcsponaibilitics to the best nf my ability, I have been constantly cheered and sustained by the assured conviction . that lha Savy of tho United States ha achieved a great aud new hittoricnl renown; that it has expanded and ia evpnnding in a measure commensureto with the exigencie of the country tnd of the time; that it has done and is doing ucroic service-... . K.t and sacred cans,', and .hat its lorco 1 wielded by a ho ly of enters and men who bore e"t.ib!ibrd the " th. . Secretary of the Kavy. To the President. jrjgJ FALL IMPORTATION. jcbfctn, Bitts a flT Oarsjrti a-n ! Sraae. rmtATtiLrBU, n.r. tow ouooti thtir Tall Impcrlalloo of KoM UO.O..V1!'. ll,,.w.oa. IS.'lllillll.. ri:tial au Mrjfl PoplilUt, iucv ttUd litack WUk. ."J i Aho, a latp. anitmont or Shawln. Balniorsil tSkirln. j biff JoIb. LineilM. ' I EmbroitltTit?!, A'C ! whch tn.T 0., to ie Trade t the IA)"BT j RKT I'Hll'ti1. aov-J7-U t - ... ..... i -i -i-- ' . .1 -.. ...V 1 - ( i 4 ' ; saaaaaalaam.a.aBTaM.aMliMi.aaBaam5MMMBBja